Once in a Moment
by Trunks lil' sis
Summary: Finally reunited, Sharpay and Troy believed it would be smooth sailing, but they’re quickly finding out being normal is often a lot more challenging than being special. And a new kind of trouble is creeping up on them. Sequel to Forever in a Chance.
1. How Everything Changes

Title: Once in a Moment

Rating: Teen to Mature

Summary: Finally reunited, Sharpay and Troy believed it would be smooth sailing, but they're quickly finding out being normal is often a lot more challenging than being special. And a new kind of danger is creeping up on them from behind.

Notes: Obviously this is the sequel to _Forever in a Chance _and I know, I know, this was supposed to go out at the end of December, but my health is poor, and has been for quite a while. I've spent the past month in the hospital. But I'm out now and writing again. Of course during that period of time this fic decided to spawn itself from five parts into god knows how many. It's going to be another long adventure.

Warnings: As this is a fic about teenagers, expect questionable situations, adult language, sexually active relationships, and all that other stuff that comes with being a teenager.

Disclaimer: I do not claim to own any of the High School Musical characters, plots or themes which are the direct property of Disney and their affiliates. Nor do I have any money in which to be sued with, considering I am a college student and I'd pay my student loans off before any lawsuit, so don't waste your time. However, any characters not recognizable to the two previously existing HSM movies are mine, and I will prosecute without prejudice if they pop up anywhere else without my permission.

Chapter One: How Everything Changes

Sharpay hadn't exactly been officially enrolled as a Wildcats high school student when she, Ryan and Sam had coordinated her surprising Troy during his audition. In fact she'd only been on campus that very day for the first time, which had left her so very worried she stand out or someone would recognize her as she drifted around more than a little lost, easy to spot in bright pink. Ryan had slipped off earlier, leaving her alone as Henry chose to follow him instead with a slight limp that reminded Sharpay every time she saw it about how close they'd all come to losing their lives. They all lived with scars, some mental, and some like Henry, were physical.

She'd eventually found her way to the auditorium and with just enough time to signal to Kelsi her arrival, hoping Sam had spoken with the girl who clearly still held some kind of grudge against her. Sharpay didn't particularly blame her, after all, Kelsi and Gabriella were friends, but Sharpay knew she was not one to suffer grudges long. And as she spoke succinctly and sharply to Kelsi, Sharpay could already tell they'd never be anything more than acquaintances who dealt with each other for the sake of mutual friends. Sharpay was fine with that, as long as the piano player did her part in surprising Troy.

Then she'd sang, taking only too much joy in the utter glee and shock on Troy's handsome face. It had seemed to her in the past that he did all the surprising, and she wanted to do her part.

Afterwards they'd only had brief moments together, necking in the hallway like the teenagers they were until a teacher happened to stroll past and warned them against such public displays. Ryan and Sam were next to them all too soon, reminding the pair that Troy was needed in his next class and Sharpay and Ryan (and a glaring Henry who'd only just spotted them, proving Ryan was only getting better at losing him) had to return home to prepare to the following day when they'd officially join the student body.

"Pick you up tomorrow?" Troy had asked her, holding her hand only a little desperately.

"Oh," she'd sighed joyfully. "I'd forgotten. You're driving now, aren't you? Never thought I'd see the day."

"Why not?" He'd frowned at her.

She'd smirked, shaking loose his hand. "Driving requires quite a bit of control, and lets face it, Troy, you're a tad more passive than the average kid."

Troy knew it sounded like an insult, but he understood her at once. She was only saying what he'd been originally thinking. And driving did make him nervous. He liked to go the speed limit. He didn't change lanes unless he had several car lengths of space, and when confronted with an aggressive driver he always submitted rather than engage in any kind of confrontation.

He also knew Sharpay meant that his lack of great amounts of testosterone was a good thing in her eyes, not only because she liked to play alpha dog most of the time. She liked him sweet. She liked him careful. She'd fallen in love with him a specific way and she didn't want him to change for anything. He had no problem with that.

"Here's my new address." She'd pressed a slip of paper into his hand. "Seven thirty sharp. Don't be late, Bolton. You know I detest being late. I'll be driving us if you are."

If Sharpay drove anything like she talked, or loved or lived, Troy knew he was scared to death to get in a car with her. But that was okay, because there were plenty of other things about her that didn't scare him, and he could live with the driving if necessary--or at least he hoped so.

Troy hadn't looked at the address on the piece of paper Sharpay had slipped him until the following morning as he slotted his key into his car's lock. He knew the area, surprised at once that she was now residing in a portion of the city with modest homes. Sharpay was a lot of things, but never modest, and he'd already seen the kind of money Sharpay and her family had. It boggled his mind.

Despite a traffic jam in front of the nearby elementary school (resulting in Troy being reminded quite depressingly of his little brother who was not starting the school year on time) he managed to make it just in time to Sharpay's house. He honked his horn twice and took a good look at it.

He thought maybe he'd been mistaken earlier. It was small and modest, but all Sharpay Evans. It was bright yellow, a pleasing tone and not at all abrasive, with a white outline that complimented the house quite nicely. There was a modest yard, littered with bright blue, pink, white and yellow flowers, and he even thought he saw a purple or two, that Troy was sure she tended to herself, as she had a bit of green thumb so unlike him.

The house was only one story, but he could tell it extended back quite a way, providing for at least three bedrooms and a backyard that Troy imagined was just as bright and colorful as the front.

And from the front porch wind chimes hung, ringing softly in his ears with the gentle breeze which also rocked the swinging chair situated on the porch as well.

It was so beautiful and perfect on the outside, so like Sharpay, but on closer inspection he could see all the things that made the house more than just generic. Like Sharpay, there were soft cracks that showed just enough imperfection to provide a feeling of authenticity. The house was everything Sharpay was, but especially unique.

She appeared in the doorway a moment or two after his honks, Henry following behind her.

He hopped out at once, charging up the sidewalk to catch her in a morning hug and breathe in her wonderfully feminine scent.

"You're on time," she remarked almost regretfully, though with a smile.

"And I will be every time," he told her, kissing only her cheek as Henry watched him carefully.

He took her book bag for her and asked her, "Got everything? Your schedule?"

She nodded. "Yesterday."

"Good." Troy looked over to Henry. "Ready to take a ride in my car for once?"

"Actually," Sharpay said, looking to Henry over her shoulder. "We're going to go it alone today."

Troy paused, looking at her quite confused. "What do you mean."

Henry said swiftly, "You show up on time, I walk her to your car, you bring her home on time, and you retain the amount of trust necessary for me not to hold your hand as you cross the street."

Troy smiled up at him. "Thanks."

Henry grunted, and Troy decided that was enough for him.

"Ryan need a ride?" Troy asked, steering Sharpay towards his car.

She rolled her eyes. "He blew out of here more than half an hour ago, going to do god knows what with Sam, Fulton trying desperately to keep up without running."

When Troy had gotten her in the car and seating himself, he asked her, "Fulton?" He started the car, making sure to keep his eyes on the road and not her, no matter how hard the temptation was.

"Yeah," she answered. "I guess he's going to stick with Ryan for the most part, and Henry is going to be with me, mostly because I think Henry likes you a lot more than Sam. Henry knows you're a lot more honorable to me than Sam is towards my brother."

Troy cut his eyes to her for just a moment. "Not that honorable," he mumbled, feeling his face flush when her hand settled dangerously on his inner thigh in response.

"I hope not," she laughed in response, "because you're quite hard to resist, Troy Bolton."

"Fulton?" he prompted her, trying to keep his voice level. "How is he?"

"There's some heart damage," she told him seriously, hand moving from his thigh back to her lap. "Not enough to earn him a new heart, but he's on some meds, and he has to keep pretty calm these days. No running, not heavy physical activities, and much to his dismay, no chasing after wayward Evans. Ryan is under strict orders not to loose Fulton on purpose or aggravate him and Ryan cares enough about him to try and follow Daddy's orders."

"Oh." Troy took a deep breath. It was hard to imagine Fulton, who so easily was boisterous and loud, being quiet and controlled. It would take some getting used to. "No offense, because I do really like Fulton, but why did your dad let him keep his job. He isn't exactly fit to be dealing with the kind of stress his job creates."

"Fulton is family," she replied easily enough. "He's been with us for a while, and he's risked his life lots of times for us, and he almost lost it last year. He's a good man, trustworthy, and daddy knows that even with his heart now, he's irreplaceable. Plus, Fulton has his family to support, his brother's hospital bills to pay, and daddy knows that Fulton won't take handouts, so the best compromise was to let him continue to work for us, but cut back on his load, just not his pay. You get what I'm saying?"

Troy nodded. "Yeah. Your dad is a good guy, Sharpay. A lot of guys would have just dropped him on the side of the road. Your dad didn't need to do this."

"Daddy takes care of his own," Sharpay said with such pride that Troy could actually feel her smile.

"When do I get to see him?" Troy asked, taking his eyes off the road when they came to a stop sign. "I have a lot to thank him for. You know he's footing the bill for Teddy's hospital stay, right?" Troy wasn't sure how they would have gotten along without the financial help. His parents had a good deal of medical insurance, but they'd hit their cap months ago, and they were a middle to upper class family with two parents bringing in good incomes, but with the medical equipment demands their bank accounts were draining rapidly. Sharpay and Ryan's father had saved them a lifetime of debt and ruined credit.

Sharpay looked over at him suddenly, meeting his eyes. "I didn't," she answered honestly. "You could probably talk to him over the phone some time next week."

"What?"

"Daddy is in Washington," she said, nudging him gently to continue driving. "Don't get me wrong, there are still dangers out there, but as it turns out a lot more people wanted Pao dead than actually alive. So daddy is off rebuilding his connections, helping to tie up the case against Pao and his known associates, and he sent Ryan and me here, because he knew it was where we wanted to be and he trusted you to keep us safe." She shifted in her seat towards him and said softly, "with daddy you only have to prove yourself once. He knows how far you'll go to keep us safe, and with Henry and Fulton here, he doesn't feel like he needs to be. It's the first time I haven't had him with me, and I admit, it feels pretty weird."

"And you have the small house so you don't stand out," Troy surmised.

"I told daddy I didn't need a big one right now. You'll buy us a much bigger one when we get married and move out."

Troy laughed loudly. "I have to ask you first, Shar."

"But you will," she pointed out, "and I can wait until you're ready."

"And until we're out of college and I can provide for us," he added.

"_We _can provide for us," she interrupted, reminding Troy that she was a modern girl and even though she enjoyed being treated like a princess by Troy, she in no way wanted to be his housewife or dependent partner.

"Until we can provide for a family bigger than two," he settled on with a wide grin on his face.

"Just a family of three," she interjected.

His grin grew wider, though he hadn't though possible, and he knew he could be happy with just one child. He didn't care if he had a big family, or if they were just three, so long as Sharpay gave him a beautiful baby with curly blonde hair and bright, shinning eyes. He could do without the attitude, but he'd deal when that surely came along.

"Sure, Shar."

He held her hand as they left the car in the student parking lot and headed up the stairs to the school only a few minutes before the warning bell rang.

"What's your first class?" he asked her, hefting her book back up higher, unsure of what she could have inside it to make it weigh as much.

"English," she said. "I think Ryan is in the class, too. Daddy said the school wanted to split us up completely, but we've always been together in school, so they compromised for about half. I'm pretty sure we've got art and music together, too."

He took his first look at her schedule. "Hey, I've got you in two of my classes," he remarked happily, noting they shared a physics class and history. He pointed them out to her, pleased with how excited she was to sit next to him in history and be his physics partner.

He walked her to her English class, leaning in to kiss her softly. "Your next class is just down the hall, you shouldn't have any trouble finding it. I'll see you after lunch for physics, okay? If we get separated meet me outside the theater, you know where."

She kissed him then, then waved to him shortly and disappeared into the classroom. He looked through the window in the door and watched her make her way over to Ryan and greet him warmly. Seeing that she was settled in fine, he left for his own class, hustling a little when the final bell rang.

He settled into his own first period class, shop, just as the teacher strolled in, notoriously late as usual. Next to Troy on the bench Chad looked up from the magazine he was reading, "Where were you?" he asked. They usually had a good five or so minutes to talk before the bell rang.

Troy dug into the bench's storage space and removed his goggles and protective gear. "It's Sharpay's first day."

"Huh?" Chad asked, and Troy forgot that nearly everyone was oblivious to the recent additions to the school. "Sharpay Evans?" Chad asked dubiously. "The chick who ran off and didn't so much as leave you a note to know she was okay?"

Troy scowled at him. "Don't start that. And yes, Sharpay Evans. She and her brother Ryan are going here now. You got a problem with that?"

Chad held up his hands defensively. "No way, man. Just, you know, try to keep her away from Taylor, okay? My ears are still ringing from the last time they met up."

"You keep Taylor away from her," Troy returned. "I like Taylor, but I've known her long enough to know when she's holding a grudge. She's going to hate Sharpay for the rest of her life probably and Sharpay doesn't need that in her life right now. Lets just work to keep them separated and this year shouldn't be bad at all."

"If you say so," Chad said lightly. "But I have a feeling things aren't going to go nearly as smoothly as you want. This is the world of high school politics and you know how they go down."

And it was all too true, Troy knew. Despite being roped into the heavily academic category at school that was often the basis of many jokes and pranks, Taylor's situation on the student council gave her significant pull regarding the other students. If Taylor set out to do so, she was capable of forcing nearly the entire student body to shun Sharpay, or worse.

"Just talk to her," Troy almost pleaded. "Do it for me."

Chad raised an eyebrow. "That puppy dog thing hasn't worked on me since kindergarten." But the smile on his face promised that he would, and Troy calmed a bit.

Before long Troy found himself in his third period class, somewhat surprised and pleased to see the seat he generally occupied next to Sam to the left of the room was filled by Ryan Evans. Instead he settled in front of Sam and turned back to look at him.

"Sorry, man," Sam said, eyes jerking slightly over to Ryan who was fishing around through his backpack.

Troy waved him off.

"You saw Sharpay already didn't you?" Troy asked Ryan, keeping watch for the teacher who especially detested chatter between students during, before or after class.

Ryan shrugged. "We had art together before this."

"She doing okay?"

A slight expression passed over Ryan's face, something Troy couldn't quite decipher before the male returned, "You seriously underestimate my sister. She'll be fine, and she totally already rules the art department."

Sam leaned forward. "I hear the walls of Ramirez's classroom are already sparkly and pink."

"I wouldn't be surprised," Troy laughed. "Is that what her bedroom looks like?" he inquired to Ryan almost offhand. Sharpay's old bedroom had been a chaotic mixture of pink and purple walls, posters of Broadway shows he was pretty sure she'd never seen in person and bands that he'd hardly heard of, being that their musical tastes were radically different aside from their mutual love of musicals. The room had seemed a little overwhelming at times in the beginning, being so vast and large, larger than his parent's own master bedroom and containing more things that maybe his entire house. It had been so utterly Sharpay.

"You want to know what my sister's bedroom looks like?" Ryan asked with a smile.

Troy rolled his eyes.

"Yeah," Ryan finally answered. "I think she's reached an all time high with the sparkles. But that's nothing, you should see her locker."

At that mention Sam made a sound that sounded suspiciously like a giggle.

"What?"

Sam pressed a hand to his mouth, trying to suppress an outbreak. He finally regained his composure and told Troy seriously, "I like Sharpay, you know that. She's a cool girl, but dude, I lucked out with the right Evans sibling." Ryan gave a proud smile at that comment as Sam continued with, "Troy, that girl can be downright scary. Only she should twist and deform her locker like she did."

"I fail to see what's so funny." Troy crossed his arms.

"It's like a shrine to you," Ryan revealed. "She's got pictures of you up in it with little hearts drawn around your face and lipstick marks _everywhere_."

Troy figured on some level he supposed he should have been a bit disturbed. While it wasn't uncommon for girls, and even some of the guys to stick pictures of their significant others in their lockers, it was quite another to become obsessive over that person, especially in high school where boyfriends and girlfriends came and went as easy as fashion styles and teenage trends.

But coming from Sharpay it was almost a compliment. Sharpay never did anything small or unobtrusively. Everything about her was exaggerated, and so Troy thought he might have felt upset if she hadn't gone overboard with her locker decoration. It was simply her way, and if anything it was flattering. He'd be sure to add another picture of her in his own locker the following day, because Sharpay was the type of girl who expected it, and he was only more than willing to fulfill her expectations.

"I think it's nice," Troy told them sharply. "It's nice to know I got the Evans sibling who isn't afraid to express their love and not care who sees or what they think. It's refreshing, don't you think?"

Ryan scowled deeply.

Sam looked over at Ryan pointedly.

Troy slid down comfortably in his seat.

The door to the classroom swung open and Sam added hastily, "How about the sub shop at the corner of 7th for lunch? We'll settle this then."

Troy gave a nod and then settled comfortably into his seat as the lesson began. As the calculus teacher began to drone on Troy couldn't help but rest his chin on his palm and realize that everything had changed, and the newfound normalcy they were all experiencing was going to be far more challenging that previously believed. Troy thought they were all up to it, but wondered quite how much they'd suffer first. After all, he reminded himself, nothing worthwhile came without sacrifice, and it was never truer than in the case of the Evans family.


	2. How Everything Stays the Same

Title: Once in a Moment

Rating: Teen at the moment, but please take notice, as of the next chapter there is a strong potential that the rating will change to mature. I'm not your mommy, and I don't regulate what you read or what you're mentally mature enough for. We're all individuals and we all deserve to make those choices for ourselves. If a mature rating isn't something you think you can handle, make a responsible choice and bow out gracefully, otherwise, enjoy the evolution of a relationship a long time coming.

Summary: Bonds are tested and Troy feels as if nothing has changed at all.

Notes: Yeah. I listened to Josh Groban while writing this. I think that admission speaks volumes right there.

Warnings: **Please refer to the ****Rating ****and read that if you didn't already.**

Disclaimer: I do not claim to own any of the High School Musical characters, plots or themes which are the direct property of Disney and their affiliates. Nor do I have any money in which to be sued with, considering I am a college student and I'd pay my student loans off before any lawsuit, so don't waste your time. However, any characters not recognizable to the two previously existing HSM movies are mine, and I will prosecute without prejudice if they pop up anywhere else without my permission.

Chapter Two: How Everything Stays the Same

The sub shop had been around for as long as Troy could remember, and a favorite of his for just as long. It was small, conveniently hidden partially down a side street, and accessible only to those who already knew where it was, insuring that the right kind of crowd entered. Most teenagers knew about it, but kept away due to the almost enclosed feeling the small shop gave, and the decidedly lack of current music blaring out of speakers and arcade machines missing from the corners of the shop. The shop was popular with the elders of the community with its welcoming atmosphere, and perfect for Troy who could often feel out of touch with his own generation's ferocity.

Troy wasn't sure how Sam knew about the shop, as it was far from popular and he was still relatively new to the area, but the fact that he did wasn't a complete surprise. Often Troy had to remind himself that for all of Sam's bravado, the guy was as laid back and down to earth as Troy himself, and was quite a hermit when he wanted to be. Sam liked the limelight, Troy knew that much, but he could get his fill early on in the day, and spend the rest of it holed up in the library with a good book, or working out in the corner of the gym with only an ipod for company. So the fact that Sam seemed very acquainted with the sub shop was a good thing in Troy's book, and spoke volumes for his character.

"What is this place?" Sharpay asked, navigating the side street in her high heels, a less than mock expression of disapproval on her face.

Indeed she looked out of place, seemingly pristine in a place of lackluster. Troy told her patiently, "It know it doesn't look like much from the outside, but you'll love the food, and I bet if you give it a chance, you'll like the people."

Ryan waltzed in ahead of her with Sam, rolling his eyes at his sister's antics. Troy knew he was probably even less impressed with the establishment than Sharpay, but he was far better at hiding his emotions.

"If you don't like it we won't eat here again," Troy said.

She took a deep breath and allowed him to guide her in, flushing softly at his hand on the small of her back.

"How'd you even find this place?" she asked, taking a good look around at the faded wallpaper and wobbly tables. She sniffed loudly and glared at the rotating fans in lieu of air-conditioning.

Troy smiled genuinely at her. "I know it doesn't look like much, but back in the day this used to be the spot to hang out at. Mr. Jensen, the owner, used to hold Friday night parties and that's where my parents met. This was their favorite date spot, and then they started bringing me and Teddy here when we were only babies."

Sharpay slid her fingers around his wrist comfortingly, feeing his pulse thump stably. "How about when Teddy gets out of the hospital we bring him here for a party all his own?" she suggested. She gave another look around the place. "I suppose it has some charm, and is that a jukebox I see in the corner? Do you have any change with you?"

"God you're wonderful," he told her, darting in to steal a kiss. "You don't have any clue how much, do you?"

"Enough already!" Sam shouted, already at the corner having his sub made by a middle aged woman with a smile directed their way. "Lets get something to eat."

"I want to take you to see Teddy tonight," Troy said to her while ignoring Sam. "After school, that is, if you want to go see him, no one else will be there. I think it'll do him good to hear your voice, and the doctors say he's so close to waking up, maybe you'll be the boost he needs."

Troy ordered their subs, getting hers piled with vegetables and withholding the mayo that he knew gave her heartburn for hours at a time. He let her pay, only because she insisted and threatened to pout for the rest of the day if he didn't let her, and then they joined Ryan and Sam at a four sided table who were already enjoying their subs.

"So how's public high school treating you guys?" Sam asked. He hadn't had a chance to talk with Ryan during their mathematics class, and after comparing schedules he knew he shared nothing with Sharpay other than a lunch period.

Troy looked up from where he'd been digging for quarters in his pocket, having noticed how adamantly Sharpay truly had been eying the jukebox. "Yeah," he added, "how goes it?"

"It's weird," Ryan volunteered excitedly. "I mean it seemed different on TV. I spent an hour this morning looking for a coffee shop and beanbag chairs."

Sam rolled his eyes. "This ain't The OC."

Sharpay perked up at the reference. "You'd look hot in a wife-beater," she told Troy.

Troy rolled his eyes and placed a few quarters into her hand.

Music rolling the background moments later Sam said, "I heard you both signed up for Darbus' music class. You'll have to tell me how hell is. You know, the latest fashions, what those little devils are into--the whole shebang."

Ryan snapped, "Just because musicals aren't your thing."

"Ah, no," Troy chucked nervously, "It's Darbus. She's really scary."

"I hear she just doesn't like you because you're on the basketball team, and everyone knows your dad doesn't get along with Ms. Darbus." Sharpay said, mildly surprised at how good her sub tasted. "Kendall told me the music and sports department have had this blood feud going on for decades now."

"That may be an exaggeration, but Darbus does have a personal vendetta against the sports department. That much is for sure," Sam confirmed.

"Say," Troy said softly, suddenly reminded of his conversation with Chad earlier. "How are people treating you guys. I mean they may not know what happened per say, but your names did appear in the paper and there are quite a few aspiring reporters in our year that could expose lots of dirty little secrets if they dug hard enough. Anyone giving you guys trouble for whatever reason? And then there's the fact that the both of you guys are pretty unique," he said cautiously, "There are lots of people that would give you a hard time for pretty crappy reasons."

Ryan coughed suddenly, face darkening a little bit. "No," he said sharply.

Troy cocked his head to the side in surprise. "No?"

"No," Ryan confirmed. "No one seems to care who Sharpay and I are, and what other reason would they have? Were you expecting Sharpay to get jumped for being a man stealer and for me to get the living crap beat out of me for being gay?" He turned to glare harshly and Sam and Troy thought for one moment that he'd missed something very serious. "But it's not like I'm threatening to them, right Sam? I'm not flaunting anything, am I? There's nothing to flaunt."

Troy had known Sam for a while, long enough to know his moods and interpret them, and far long enough to know when the boy went from slightly abrasive to down right threatening and scary.

"You don't bring stuff like that up in mixed company," Sam said with a tone of anger.

"Mixed company?" Ryan said dramatically. "My sister and _her _boyfriend?"

"Ryan?" Sharpay asked, getting his attention and looking at him with the kind of motherly concern that had Troy convinced that she'd be the best caregiver a mother was ever expected to be. "Sam's right. Not now."

The tension held in the air for what seemed like forever, and Troy held his breath, looking between his basketball teammate and his girlfriend's brother.

Where had the sudden sarcasm and cynicism come from, Troy wondered. Ryan and Sam were about the most stable people next to his mother and father that Troy knew. Since the beginning they'd had an unmistakable bond and apparent ability to communicate silently between them their mutual wants and needs. Often Troy had been envious of their connection, especially since to the very day Sharpay remained a mystery to him. The two males hardly ever fought, and certainly never gave each other dirty looks.

"Nothing is wrong," Ryan finally managed through clenched teeth. "Excuse me, I've suddenly lost my appetite." He stood, sub abandoned, and marched to the door, swinging it open with such force that Troy cringed.

"What's going on between you two?" Troy asked.

Sam stood abruptly. "Why don't you mind you own business," he snapped at Troy. "And you've got enough problems of your own," he said, eyes ghosting over to Sharpay.

He left the table and trailed after Ryan, leaving Troy and Sharpay in bewilderment and alone in the sparsely populated sub shop.

"What just happened?" Troy asked, looking over at his girlfriend who had her hands fisted in her lap and her eyes cast downward. "Sharpay?"

"It's my brother's business and not yours," she said simply and not rudely, echoing Sam's words.

Frustrated, he asked shortly, "Do we have a problem too?"

"Why would we?" she asked, refusing to meet his eyes. "Everything is fine."

"Everything is obviously not fine," he argued. "Your brother just stormed out of here, madder than I've ever seen him, Sam just told me to mind my own business in a tone I've never heard him talk to anyone in, and the girl I care about more than anyone else won't look at me or acknowledge me. So you tell me, Shar, is there a problem?"

She looked up at him finally, eyes far more moist that Troy felt comfortable with.

"It's a big change," she finally said. "Ryan and I need a little more time to adjust. It's not the same as before, and it's a lot harder than we thought it would be. People aren't who we thought they would be in different situations."

Struck, Troy took her hands in his at once, feeling frightened for the first time in a while. "Have I done something, Shar? Have I made you comfortable? Have I said something?"

She blinked rapidly and he could tell she was fighting off tears. "No," she denied venomously, "It's not you. Please believe me when I say that." She leaned forward and pressed her face into the juncture between his shoulder and neck. "I'm just used to--I'm just not--"

He didn't need her to finish her words. He knew what she meant probably before she did. His incredibly beautiful, but occasionally low self-esteemed girlfriend was a control freak. Nearly a whole life of having to deal with dangerous situations and manipulations far beyond her control had left her as a serious control freak as a means to remain comfortable. He knew to her being in control was the only way not to be hurt. She'd given up a lot of control with him, more than he knew he could have ever hoped for, but an entirely new situation with new people was a loss of control she simply couldn't combat. She hadn't been lying earlier. She did need time to adjust and find her niche, and he needed to be understanding until she did.

"It's okay, Shar," he said soothingly, petting her hair. "High school is evil. It isn't nice, and it doesn't play fair. I know it's probably harder on you and Ryan than anyone else, especially since you've been so sheltered before." He took her chin in his hand and brought her eyes up to meet his. "But you're the strongest and bravest girl I know. You do things that I can only dream about, and if anyone can get through this, it's you. I believe in you, Shar, and you're going to do great if you give it time."

Afterward neither seemed very hungry, and Troy was content to merely hold Sharpay, silently sending his appreciation to the woman working behind the counter that he knew who was allowing his group to vent whatever tensions had built up between the beginning of school and three mere periods.

Finally the clock on the far wall told Troy that if he and Sharpay were going to make it back for their fourth class of the day they'd have to leave right away.

"I'm sorry," she told him, preening herself almost frantically as she realized her makeup was smeared and her hair had grown flat pressed against Troy. "I just--"

"Shar," he reminded her, "It's okay. Lets just get back to school. We have two classes together, and you've got the other with your brother. You won't be alone for the rest of the day, and afterwards we'll go see Teddy. Everything will be fine."

She agreed and followed him out of the shop.

"Can I ride with you?" Ryan asked Troy, appearing seemingly out of no where.

"Where's Sam?" Troy asked.

Ryan shrugged. "I dunno, and I don't really care. So can I ride with you?"

Troy nodded. "Of course." He sent Sharpay a knowing look. She knew what was going on with her brother and Sam, and he was resolved to the idea that she wasn't going to tell him what it was just yet, but he expected her to try and fix it. They needed to stand strong as a group and if Sam and Ryan fractured Troy could only see it echoing out towards himself and Sharpay.

Troy thought the rest of the day went relatively well, at least compared to the morning half. He and Sharpay had done quite well in physics, knowing each other well enough to work in tandem proficiently and cover for each other's shortcomings in the subject. Troy anticipated they'd do well in the class that year, at least if they could manage to keep their hands off each other. Troy believed seriously that if the lab tables didn't hide them so easily, the temptation would not have been present nearly as much.

Sharpay emerged from her music class looking pleased, while Troy endured Gym with a sulking and angry Sam who refused to talk to him or anyone else. And afterwards in their history class Troy felt like they'd recovered some of their momentum and balance.

After school Troy took Sharpay to the hospital just as planned. It was his day to sit with his brother anyway, and bringing Sharpay with him only seemed fitting. After all, she was important to Teddy, and she was going to be family as soon as Troy could swing it and they were both ready. She deserved to be there as well, and as he introduced her to the nursing staff he made it clear by his tone of voice that she was to be given the same treatment and benefits as the rest of the family, especially since her father was the one paying the hospital bills.

"He looks so tiny," she said, upon first entering the room and getting a good look at Teddy in the bed.

"He's lost some weight," Troy said solemnly. "They're pumping him full of every kind of nutrients a kid could want or need, but it's still a poor substitute for the real thing. I figure the minute he wakes up mom is going to bust in here with a cheese cake or maybe whole pizza and start shoving it down his throat."

Sharpay laughed quietly. "That's what I like about her. She understand comfort through food, like any true woman."

It pleased Troy immensely how well Sharpy got along with his parents.

"Can I hold his hand?" she asked, fingers curling around the metal guard rail on the bed. "I don't want to mess up his IV."

"Hold away," Troy commanded, dragging two chairs up to the bed.

"Hey, kid," she said, taking his hand as gently as she could manage and settling down into the chair. "It's me, Sharpay." She paused and turned towards Troy. "Can he even hear me? I feel stupid."

"He's just asleep, really," Troy said. "The pressure in his brain is all but completely gone, and he's had two surgeries and recovered from them already. His body is all healed up, and once he stops being so lazy, he should wake up. We're just waiting on him, and really, he's always been the slowest of the family." Troy spoke with certain fondness in his tone, looking softly down on his little brother. "When he wakes up it'll be just fine, so get to talking, because we think he can hear us."

She nodded and continued, "So I wanted to apologize. I put you in danger and you got hurt, even though I swore to myself I wouldn't let you be. I made mistakes and let my guard down and you paid the price. But I want you to know that I learned my lesson. I only needed to learn it once, and when you wake up you should know that things are going to be different. I did some growing up, and some soul searching, and I'm a better person. So you should wake up, because your parents are waiting, and your brother is, and I am." She leaned forward to press her forehead against the cool sting of the metal guardrail. "And don't tell your mom, but there's a whole gallon of ice cream waiting for you when you do, with extra sprinkles and a cherry."

Troy hugged Sharpay from behind and she asked him, "How was that?"

"Did it come from your heart?" he countered. She nodded and he said, "Then it was more than enough."

They sat in silence for a few moments before she turned to him and asked, "Are we going to be okay?"

He didn't answer her right away, but then after close consideration closed his eyes and pressed against her.

"I'd like to think so, Shar, and that's enough for me. I'm giving it my all, and I know you are, and if that isn't enough for us to make it then we don't deserve to."

"Okay," she said with a sense of finality. "Okay, Troy. Then lets give it our all."

Troy nodded and then cleared his throat. "Ah, Sharpay, just don't tell my mom about the ice cream incentive. Or at least the cherry and the sprinkles."

"Whipped," she said, laughing loudly.

He hung his head. "A sad trait all Bolton men seem to inherit. We're just no match for beautiful women and their dominance."

Sharpay turned just slightly to kiss him. "I'm glad I picked the right guy."

"Me too," he said sincerely.

"And lets hope our first is a boy."

He hugged her as tightly as he dared then, unable to comprehend the pure rush of perfection that enveloped him. She completed him, he realized almost too dramatically.

"I'll try my best," he managed quietly, voice breaking at the emotions in him he fought to control. "And you know about Bolton men and their word."

"They always keep their word," she finished for him.

"Always."


	3. Cause and Effect

Title: Once in a Moment

Rating: Strong Teen

Summary: Troy and Sharpay's relationship continues to evolve.

Notes: I do apologize for taking so long, but when something just won't come to you, you can't force it.

Warnings: As stated in the pervious chapter, this third chapter contains two young adults expressing themselves in mature ways. If you're not comfortable with sexual situations between two consenting individuals, please use personal digression and hit the back button. I've given ample warning, and if I get flagged even once by some snot-nosed punk kid who feels like their eyes are burning because they're curious, I'll yank this story and be done with it completely. I don't have tolerance for idiocy.

Disclaimer:I do not claim to own any of the High School Musical characters, plots or themes which are the direct property of Disney and their affiliates. Nor do I have any money in which to be sued with, considering I am a college student and I'd pay my student loans off before any lawsuit, so don't waste your time. However, any characters not recognizable to the two previously existing HSM movies are mine, and I will prosecute without prejudice if they pop up anywhere else without my permission.

Chapter Three: Cause and Effect

The weekend brought sweet relief to a too tense situation.

Troy didn't see Sharpay on Saturday, and maybe it was for the best. They'd been getting along just fine, almost as if they'd never been parted, but extenuating factors were stressing the both of them out. The quickly deteriorating relationship between Ryan and Sam seemed to drive a wedge between himself and Sharpay, each being forced to pick sides whether they wished to or not. Furthermore, Troy was having real difficulty properly balancing the demands of Sharpay, his school work (which he was very worried to note was seriously slipping) and his responsibilities to the basketball team that was now meeting regularly for practices.

Instead of spending time with his girlfriend Troy spent his Saturday catching up on his schoolwork. He and Chad pulled off a massive cram session and at least Troy now felt adequately prepared for his upcoming math test, even if he expected to do average at best.

In the afternoon he worked out with his father, honing his basketball skills on their half court in the backyard. He put himself completely into getting back into his groove, and took his father's constructive criticism intensely. Afterwards he felt as if he'd made real progress with his game and he was proud to wear the title of captain once again.

If Troy was a little bit honest with himself he'd sort of planned it out that he'd spend Sunday with Sharpay instead of Saturday. After all, neither of his parents worked on Saturday. They traded off half the day with his brother, but with the other half his mother cleaned furiously to pass the time and keep herself occupied, while his father drifted through the house continuously from the garage where he was tuning up a car that was in perfect working order.

It would have been impossible for Troy to have any kind of private time with her, and that was the only kind of time he was honestly interested in having with her anymore.

Her house wouldn't have been any better, either. With Sam and Ryan supposedly on the edge of a breakup the male twin sulked around his moderately sized house, poking his nose into business that had nothing to do with him out of sheer boredom. And of course Fulton and Henry were faithfully present and would rather castrate him than risk his hand wandering anywhere they couldn't properly see.

Sunday was a whole different story. His mother worked a double shift on Sunday and his father had his weekly meeting at the local health club that usually ended up lasting the whole day with his father stumbling in the door way past dinner reeking of sweat and rambling on about his friends and their playoff predictions.

It was certainly a violation of the trust his parents had put on his shoulders, but Troy simply couldn't help himself. He knew full well one of the most serious stipulations of his being able to date Sharpay was that they not ever be anywhere alone, his parents forever fearful of teenage hormones. If they knew he planed to have her over without their supervision, well, he didn't want to think about the kind of punishment that would come, but he was a teenager and wiling to risk it. After all, he'd follow Sharpay's lead concerning anything physical. He was ready when she was and never before.

"I don't see your parent's cars," she remarked Sunday morning when he opened the front door and was greeted with her angelic form. "There a reason for that, Bolton?"

He smiled coyly at her. "What, I can't have some alone time with my girl?" He wrapped an arm around her waist and kissed her deeply, groaning happily when her lips parted and allowed him access to the sweetness of her mouth.

"I think I like this rouge Bolton I see before me," she said devilishly, peppering the corners of his lips with chaste kisses. "It's kind of hot."

He took her hand and pulled her into the house. "I thought we'd take a trip down memory lane," he said leading her into the kitchen where he'd set everything up.

"Troy!" she laughed, eyes sparkling at the cooking ingredients out in front of them.

"Cookies sound good to you?"

She nearly tackled him into a hug, clinging to him so tightly she was able to pick her feet up off the floor and press wholly into his solid flesh. "There's no way you're a boy," she exclaimed into his neck. "No boy is ever this romantic."

"Now that's a misconception," he said sweetly, carrying her over to the nearest countertop where he set her on it easily enough. "So you're happy?"

She nodded. "After our past few mishaps I thought you said we weren't making any more cookies--ruining any more pans--getting the fire department called out anymore." She blushed deeply, unhappy with herself for so easily admitting her cooking failures. Troy had been attempting to teach her for quite a while, but it seemed at least to her that every time he turned his back she messed up and ruined whatever concoction they were making. It was frustrating at best, and humiliating at worst.

"The only way to get better is to practice. Plus, I'll have you know I'm a very traditional man. I expect my wife to have cookies waiting for me when I get home from work every day."

Sharpay snorted loudly. "And I'll have on the floral dress and pearl necklace, and I'll even fetch your slippers for you."

The idea of Sharpay parading around as June Cleaver was, Troy could admit, a little appealing. If he thought for a moment she'd go for it, he was more than happy to support the two of them and come home to a beautiful wife and wonderful child every night. He liked to care for her, to pamper her and do most of the work if it meant she had to do less. Of course he also lived in the real world where Sharpay was one hundred percent an independent woman. In fact Troy was sure she'd rather go out and make the money and come home to him in a pretty floral dress instead. She could be kinky like that.

Instead Troy figured when they were married and they had a child it would be more of a balancing act. Maybe he'd work nights and she'd work days, or he'd work weekdays and she'd work weekends. They'd find a way to make it work, even if it meant one of them strapping a baby to their backs and going to work as such. Neither one of them would end up being a good housewife, and that was perfectly fine with the both of them as far as Troy knew.

"I got extra chips," he said, wagging his eyebrows. "Because I know you like extra chocolate chip cookies the best."

She hopped off the counter top and kissed him again remarking, "You really are something special."

Together they worked successfully to measure out the right ingredients and began working to mix them together, standing shoulder to shoulder.

"So daddy is going to be in DC for a little longer," Sharpay said suddenly, and in a tone that Troy immediately knew as one of remorse. "Everything is going fine in the case, don't worry," she assured him suddenly, "but once that's done in the next couple of months he's going to start building his business back up."

Troy froze, fingers deep in the dough. "Out in DC?"

Sharpay nodded sadly. "A few of his old partners are willing to cut him into their practices until he gets his own back, but the stipulation is that he stays in DC and works from there. He's already looking at the houses out there."

Troy felt wetness pricking at his eyes. "So, ah," he cleared his throat nervously, "when that's all done, are you and uh, Ryan, are you two--"

"I told daddy I'm not leaving you," Sharpay said declaratively. She looked at Troy with enough ferocity to make his knees feel like jelly. "It'll probably be another year or so before he's out on his own and he sends for us, but I've already told him I won't go. And if he tries to make me I'll get emancipated." She swallowed harshly. "I can't lose you again, Troy. I can't do it."

He took her into his arms, flour covered and all, and let her cling to him tightly. "It's your father, Sharpay. I don't want you to go any more than you want to, but you have to think about what you're saying seriously." He took her shoulders in a firm grip, an almost painful one. "This is the man that gave up every thing for you and your brother, and risked everything. He's your father and no one will ever love you more than him. I want you with me more than anything else in the world, but I can wait, no matter how painful it would be, if it means you got to keep your relationship with your father as strong as it is right now. I don't want you to ever have to make that kind of decision, Shar."

She smiled fondly at him. "Somehow I knew you'd say that." She closed her eyes and leaned her forehead against his. "And daddy did too, that's why he said he wouldn't dream of making me or Ryan move if we didn't want to. He said we can stay here until we graduate, but then he wants me to go to college closer to him."

Troy sagged in relief. "College we can do. We can go anywhere you want, Shar. You say Columbia or NYU and we're there."

"I was thinking a little less prestigious," she said with a giggle.

They added the chocolate chips expertly and then formed the cookies into the right shapes.

"Oh," Sharpay exclaimed, suddenly remembering, "I thought you might want to know, Henry mentioned Harrison yesterday."

Troy turned his full attention to her. "Oh? So he's okay, then? I half expected him to turn up in some morgue courtesy of your father more than anyone else. I can't imagine your father is the kind of guy to let him get away with what he did."

Sharpay shrugged. "Henry didn't say much, but apparently he got a postcard in the mail yesterday with no return address, but there was a picture of Harrison, his wife, and their baby. They're somewhere sunny, but it was impossible to tell where. There was an apology written on it, nothing else, but I think it was enough for Henry. They'd been friends and partners for a long time. As much as Henry might hate him for betraying us, I don't think there's anything Harrison could have done that he wouldn't have forgiven him for."

With surprise Troy asked her, "Don't you blame him? Forgive him? Do you hate him for what he did??"

"I blame him, yes," she said pointedly. "He was greedy, that's what got him involved in all this to begin with, even if I know now why he stayed in and didn't try to warn daddy. There's no excuse for how he almost got all of us killed and without so much as a second thought. And do I forgive him? No, I don't, not while Teddy is still unconscious in the hospital and Fulton has a weak heart and Henry walks with a limp. I have nightmares, still, and for that I can't forgive him just yet."

She took a deep breath. "But I don't hate him. What he did, he did for his family. He loved them enough to sell his soul to the devil. I can't hate a man for hurting other people in his quest to save his own family. I can't judge someone's soul like that. He has to live with himself, and I think he's got enough hatred for himself right there. He doesn't need mine, too."

Troy felt a little bile rise in his throat. Sharpay's words struck deeper than he imagined she meant them to. Harrison had soul his soul to Pao when he'd begun working with him and practically condemned them all to death, but Troy himself was no better. He'd taken lives himself and in essence sold his own soul. There was a part of his innocence he knew he could never recover, and like Sharpay he still had nightmares. He was forever changed after his dance with the devil and he'd probably never be the same person again.

"You okay, Troy?" Sharpay asked him concerned at the expression on his face.

He cleared his throat. "Yeah, you just reminded me of something." He picked up his tray of cookies and carried them over to the oven. "Say, my therapist has been bugging me about you forever now. First she just wanted me to talk about you, but now that you're in town she wants you to come to one of our sessions. She thinks it'll help me. So what do you say? Help a guy out?"

Sharpay nodded without hesitation.

When both trays of cookies were properly set in the oven and the timer turned on, Troy leaned back on the counter. "See? You did just fine, Shar. No mix ups this time with the sugar and salt, and no over kneading. You did it perfect. I bet these comes out as the best."

The blonde girl gave a longing look to the over. "I hope so. If I can produce actual proof to Fulton and Henry that I can cook without burning a house down, they'll let me near the stove at my house." She was already beginning to savor the victory of presenting perfect cookies to the two men and relishing in their surprised and dumbfounded looks they'd surely have.

"I told you, you just have to have some confidence in yourself," Troy told her intensely. "You're capable of so much, but you just need a little faith." He brushed a hand across her cheek. "Soon you'll be making soufflés like a master chef, and everyone is going to have to eat their words."

With a rush of adoration she flew forward into his arms again, kissing him intensely. Ignoring her cookie dirty hands her fingers slid their way under the back of his shirt and pressed into warm and soft flesh.

"Shar," he said breathlessly, feeling his instincts take over. Amidst her kisses he reached down and hooked his hands under her bare thighs, her skirt ridding up in the process and he hitched her up. She locked her ankles behind his back and their pressed against each other more sensually than ever before.

More on autopilot than anything else, Troy stumbled his way to his bedroom, never once relinquishing his lip's hold on hers. He could feel her tongue sliding against his, teasing and beckoning him for more that he was only too willing to oblige.

He managed to regain some of his senses when he dumped her on his springy bed and settled down on top of her. His wants and needs were only too evident, bulging towards her and throbbing almost painfully.

"Shar--Sharpay, wait," he pleaded, aware that if she didn't answer him quickly he would be unable to stop himself from continuing and giving into teenage urges.

Ignoring him she reached for the hem of her shirt and flung it up and off. Then with an almost animalistic nature she pulled his own shirt off, ripping it in several places with her nails. "What?" she nearly growled, working furiously at his belt.

"We agreed," he breathed out, enjoying her stimulation immensely. "We would wait, until we were both ready, right?"

She paused then, looking up at him with sudden clarity. "You're the one I want to spend the rest of my life with. You love me, and I love you, and people who love each other make love."

It felt so wrong then, despite the urges coming from his lower body. They were only sixteen, both virgins and inexperienced against the primordial urges their bodies demanded of them. She, laying before him without a shirt and her hair spread around her like a halo, was far too pure and perfect to violate like he was about to. It was wrong and he needed to back off before they both did something they would surely regret later.

"I want you," she said. "And I know you want me. There's nothing wrong with giving each other what we want."

With nimble and quick hands she tugged her bra upward and nervously revealed herself to him. Her chest heaved up and down as if she'd run a mile, terrified of what he'd think of what she was willing to give to him. She wasn't self conscious with her body, taking pride in her toned attributes, but she'd also never been so vulnerable in her life. She was his for the taking, and she wanted so badly for him to be pleased and please her in return.

"Shar," he moaned in annoyance. "I want you to be ready. I want you to know, not just think you are. We can't take something like this back. Honestly, are you sure?"

God, he needed her to say yes. His mouth and brain were working separate from the other parts of his body and he didn't wait for her answer, no matter how badly his psyche needed to hear it. Instead he pressed a leg in-between hers and his hands fell to her chest.

It was awkward at best. For all his fervor, and the instincts pulsing through his body, he was still young, so inexperienced, and unsure of himself. Settled between her legs he worked tirelessly to heighten her own pleasure, ignoring the throbbing in his own pants which were suddenly too tight and horribly constricting.

"Wait, wait," she said suddenly, and he almost couldn't stop himself, pulling back at the last moment and wiping at his mouth.

"What?" he asked, hoping he didn't sound as desperate as he was.

She gasped out, "Protection?"

Almost all of the excitement and want and need that has consumed him nearly disappeared when he considered his stupidity. _Protection_. Forgetting was almost inexcusable. What he and Sharpay were doing was something only people mature enough were supposed to, and being mature meant making sure babies didn't have babies. It meant being adult enough to use protection and make sure that when they had a family it was planned and when they could support a child, and not before.

"Yeah," he said roughly, leaning over her to reach into his bedside drawer and draw out a plastic wrapper. "I got one." His father had given it to him a year ago, not for any particular reason other than to solidify his manhood and bond them closer together.

He let her take the wrapper from him and open it after only a few tries, proving her naivety to the entire situation, and when she slid it on him (after a mad rush for him to remove both his pants and underwear) he let out a sigh of bliss.

Their first coupling was painful, for both her and him and the winces on her face were almost too much for him. "I can stop," he said, meaning it completely. He'd lost all his will to continue after his initial breech of her and her cry of pain.

"It's okay," she said, gripping his forearms with an iron grip. "It's supposed to hurt the first time. Just give me a second."

When she assured him she was ready for him to proceed, he frustrated the both of them with his poor rhythm. He could easily find the pace that caused him pleasure, and the one that she seemed to gain the most from, but thrusting against her it seemed impossible for either one to find the unison they needed.

He jerked against her in an uncoordinated fashion, and she dug her nails into his forearms hard enough to draw blood. They rocked together, emitting grunts and groans of quick fading passion and Troy found himself lost in a haze.

Then suddenly without any knowing provocation, Troy struck something deep in his partner that caused her to cry out in passion, which echoed back to him in an incomparable pleasure. He repeated the angle of his trust and brought her pleasure again, grinning almost wildly when he discovered the key to pleasing them both.

It was done so quickly afterward, with him coming too soon and her too late. He collapsed in a boneless heap next to her, ashamed in having reached his peek before her, and despite his weariness, set his hands upon her body once more and did his best to bring her to the brink as quickly as possible. It was only after she lay sated and happy next to him that he felt he'd done an adequate job as her partner.

"That was a lot harder," she said, trying to catch her breath, "in real life than it looks in the movies."

He agreed with her, then asked, "Are you in much pain"? He pulled the soiled condom from his body and managed to make it to his feet. "Just lay still." He hobbled down to the bathroom and returned a moment later with a warm towel that he dabbed across her skin.

"You were amazing," he said, pressing a kiss to her forehead sweetly.

"You weren't so bad yourself," she responded with heavily lidded eyes.

He tossed the rag to the side and ran his fingers absently across her stomach. "Shar," he said hesitantly, "What we just did--"

She rolled to her side and smiled at him. "No regrets."

He brushed her bangs out of her eyes and nodded.

It was only when they smelled the burnt fumes did they realize another batch of cookies had burned, and by that time the consequences of their actions were beginning to sink in.


	4. The Strengthening of Bonds

Title: Once in a Moment

Rating: Strong Teen

Summary: Bridges that were burnt are slowly rebuilt.

Notes: As always, my thanks to the people who take the time to review. I'll write with or without the reviews, but I do write at least twice as fast with them.

Warnings: Can you believe it, nothing for this chapter, aside from the usual drama.

Disclaimer:I do not claim to own any of the High School Musical characters, plots or themes which are the direct property of Disney and their affiliates. Nor do I have any money in which to be sued with, considering I am a college student and I'd pay my student loans off before any lawsuit, so don't waste your time. However, any characters not recognizable to the two previously existing HSM movies are mine, and I will prosecute without prejudice if they pop up anywhere else without my permission.

Chapter Four: The Strengthening of Bonds

Of all the things that Troy Bolton was lenient about, the things he was not, were to be adhered to. One such thing Sharpay Evans had learned fairly quickly was her, or anyone else for that matter, disrupting his basketball practice. She suppose it came from his father who was almost obsessive with his quest for a championship title that had eluded the school since his own high school years, and for that reason she was willing to compromise. And it didn't completely feel like a compromise either, because instead of being forced to lurk around the library with the nerds or the after school science and math clubs with the geeks, she was granted a reprieve and allowed to sit in on them.

Her place, four times a week, was a hard wooden bench at the top of the bleachers in the very corner of the gym. At first she'd complained about the situation, but eventually, with a sharp and infrequent look of annoyance from Troy, she'd gotten over it. Practices were only an hour and a half after all, and despite the joking of his teammates Troy had endured, every practice religiously he brought her a small, inflatable pillow to sit upon while she waited. All in all it was considerate of him, as he tried to make her wait as pleasant as possible, and if he was willing to endure teasing from his teammates and a look of unhappiness from his father, then she was able to bide her time until they could be together after school.

And she craved him more than ever before. She was sure it was because they'd become intimate with each other. Suddenly she couldn't stand to be parted from him during their classes, and every time they touched she felt her skin light on fire and her blood pumped intensely thorough her body. She saw him as the same old Troy Bolton as before for the most part, but now he was more than her boyfriend. When they were together, just the two of them, she felt like for the first time in her life everything was right, and it was a good feeling.

She spent most of her time during the practices doing her school work. She'd lost interest in watching him run back and forth across the court and pull complicated plays with his teammates a week in. After a short while it all began to look the same to her, and not nearly entertaining enough to pass an entire hour and a half. So instead she dove deep into her school work. She'd always been an above average student, despite her struggles in history (names and dates she feared she'd never remember), and she planned to attend a nice college. She fully expected the talent scouts would come for Troy sooner rather than later, and she wanted to be able to match whatever school he was drafted into playing for. Now more than ever she was sure they'd spend the rest of their lives together, and college was only the next logical step.

"Hey."

Sharpay looked up from her text book to see Chad standing in front of her. It was odd at the very least, considering they hadn't spoken more than one syllable words to each other in the entire time she'd been enrolled in the high school. They were still on considerably uneven ground, only keeping pleasant company with each other at the expressed wishes of Troy who was mutually important to the both of them.

"Hey," she answered back cautiously.

He bit the inside of his lip. "Can I sit here?" he asked. When she nodded he sat down carefully next to her, keeping a respectable distance between them. "So, ah, this is what you do?" he inquired, surprised to see textbooks.

"Expected to see Cosmo?" she asked with a raised eyebrow. "Sorry to spoil your image of me as a spoiled, shallow teenage girl, but I actually care about my grades." She closed the book on her lap. "But I doubt you came up here to inquire into my reading material. Why aren't you down there?" She jerked her head towards the team running laps.

Chad rolled his eyes. "Coach Bolton is a pretty big mother hen." He gestured down to his left arm that was strapped to his chest in a sling. "My legs work just fine, but he doesn't want me to jostle my wrist around too much until I'm healed up. I think he's got this deep seeded fear that a minor injury is going to turn into a major one and the entire season'll be ruined."

"Do you even have to be here then?" Sharpay wondered aloud. "Wouldn't you rather be talking to Taylor?" She found it odd that he'd chosen to sit next to her, instead of seeking his own girlfriend out, especially considering what his girlfriend thought of her.

Chad shook his head seriously. "Be near Taylor after school?" He looked a little pale in the face. "She's in totally geek mode right now, and will be for at least a few more hours. If I go anywhere near her between now and then I'll end up in a white lab coat trying to determine the molecular properties of sugar, or something like that. No, I'd rather be here than there, if that's fine with you."

She didn't say anything in return, crossing her feet at the ankles and setting her book into her bag.

"I know what Taylor's been saying about you," he said abruptly. "I told her to knock it off, don't worry."

Sharpay's eyes narrowed. "Why would you do something like that? I would have figured you'd have agreed wholly with the completely false and cruel things she's been telling everyone."

The anger behind her words were completely justified. She knew Taylor hated her personally, and Sharpay returned the feelings, but there were lines that were never meant to be crossed. To Sharpay there was no forgiveness for Taylor who'd begun telling the entire student body almost from her first day of classes that she'd willfully stolen Troy away from Gabriella and even more, that she'd seduced him. Implied was her looseness, her lack of moral character and several completely untrue rumors about her involvement with Teddy's predicament. Considering that she loved Teddy like he was her own little brother, that hurt the most.

She'd been able to keep most of the nasty things going around about her to a minimum and as such Troy hadn't found out yet, but she was willing to bet it was only a matter of time. Boys talked, and things got written on toilet stalls. And she worried about what would happen when he found out. There was no doubt in her mind that he'd take her side--defend her honor, but at what cost she wondered. If his defending her and attacking Taylor would effect or destroy his relationship with Chad, she couldn't say she was for it at all. No matter what Chad was his best friend and she couldn't be a part of taking that way from Troy, not if she claimed to love him as she did.

"No," Chad denied. "Troy told me the truth about what really happened to you guys, okay. That's why I can't let Taylor say the things she's saying. I can't let her turn the school against you for those reasons."

"Forgive me if I don't think you're doing this out of the goodness of your heart," Sharpay responded. "Troy's the self sacrificing, defender of the innocent, good natured, knight in shinning armor. He's the guy who comes to a person's defense."

Chad cut his eyes at her. "Don't claim to know me, Sharpay. But you're right, I'm not doing this for you. If you weren't dating him I wouldn't give a damn as to what my girlfriend wass saying about you, but you are so I do. Taylor is going to end up hurting Troy, because Troy cares about you, hell, he loves you, and he'll take your side over hers any day of the week, and then he'll come after me. We're not friends, Sharpay, but Troy is damn near my brother, and I won't lose him over something like this. I learned my lesson the last time. We're just now getting back to where we had been before you and your brother showed up."

She noted the accusatory tone of his voice and responded, "I thought we went over this last time. You're mad because he's growing up and you're not. So is this you trying to catch up?"

"Growing up isn't being a lovesick fool and throwing your life away for a girl who's more trouble than she's worth."

"You can leave if all you did was come up here to insult me," she snapped at him, ripping her eyes away to look back down at Troy who thankfully hadn't noticed them.

Chad took a deep breath. "I didn't. I'm sorry. This is hard for me. I've never had to share him before."

She looked back at Chad. "I'm not trying to take him from you."

"It sure feels that way."

Sharpay licked her lips in anxiousness. "I'm really not."

"I've known him since grade school, Sharpay. He's the only kid who on the first day of first grade wanted to be my buddy during snack and on the playground. He shared half his lunch with me when my mom made me tuna even thought it made me sick, because that was all we had to eat in the house. He stood by me when the kids wanted to pick on me for my hand-me-down clothing and the fact that my mom walked me home every day after school and we didn't have a car. And Troy was the only one who I let see me cry when my mom got remarried and I thought he was going to replace my dad."

Chad fingered the hole in his jeans at his knee. "Before you came along we were thick as thieves. We did everything together, from taking the same classes to joining the basketball team. He asked for my advice, not anyone else's, and he relied on me, at least until you showed up. And then he didn't even remember I existed."

She asked him quietly, "Do you love him?"

Chad flinched, then responded, "Not like you're thinking. He's my brother, nothing more."

"Because it sure sounded like you're in love with him," she defended. "Even a three year old knows how to share. I couldn't take him away from you if I tried. You're his best friend. On a different level, you mean more to him than I ever could. He loves me, yes, but it's a different love than he has for you."

"He'd pick you over me any day," Chad said hotly. "He already did."

"Because he saw why you rejected me. He saw the jealousy you had for me and how petty it was considering how he felt about the both of us. If you had legitimate reasons for hating me he'd stand by your side, don't ever doubt that. He wants desperately for the two of you to be as close as you were before, but until you let this pass things can't ever go back to the way they were."

Chad looked at her oddly. "You sound a lot older than you are."

"I had to do a lot of growing up recently and I realized a lot of things about me and the world around me. When you realize that kind of stuff too, eventually, things will make a whole lot more sense. But until you do, just have a little faith in Troy. He's not a child, he's done a whole lot of growing up himself. He knows what he wants, he knows what he's going to do, and if you give him the trust he needs he won't steer you wrong. Honestly, when has he ever?"

Eyebrows furrowed, Chad demanded, "Who knows who their soul mate is at fifteen? How could he have known? What if you're just some girl he loves now, but ten years down the road is going to end up hating. I can't let him get hurt like that."

"What about Taylor?" Sharpay asked him honestly.

He shrugged. "She's, well, I guess she's convenient. I like her, and she likes me, and it's nice to be wanted by someone, but I don't look at her the way Troy looks at you. I don't think I could ever."

"I could tell you I won't hurt him," she said, "but I can't promise that to be the truth. Matters of the heart are never so simple. So maybe we'll scream and yell at each other over the course of the rest of our lives, and we'll say things to each other we shouldn't, and make false accusations, and maybe even split up for a time, but we will never stop loving each other. All I can tell you is that I will take the best care of him I can, I wont' infringe on his relationship with you, and we both want you to be a part of our lives. You're his family, Chad, and whether Troy says it or not, he doesn't want to go off to college and start a family without you there with him."

They sat there in silence then, not looking at each other, only mulling over each other's words. Somehow the tension between them had been eased.

"Like I said," Chad said finally, rising to his feet. "I told Taylor to stop talking about you, and I meant it. I can't do anything about the stuff that's already been said and the people giving you a hard time over it, but nothing new is going to come out of her mouth."

Sharpay nodded with her appreciation. "Chad?"

"Yeah?"

"Don't tell Troy," she said tensely. "I don't want him to know about the people and what they've been saying about me. Don't let him know how bad its been."

Cha thrust his free hand into the pocket of his jeans. "Okay, but he's going to find out sooner rather than later. You should tell him yourself, so he doesn't lose it and go on a rampage defending your honor when he does find out."

He left her then, traveling back down to sit on the first row of the bleachers, and she sat in awe of the almost pleasant and completely productive conversation they'd just had. She didn't want to give herself false hope, but she thought there was just a chance they were off to the start of a tentative friendship. At the very least now they understood each other.

Though distracted, she worked on her history homework for the rest of the practice

After practice she and Troy went out of ice cream. It wasn't that either of them had a particularly large sweet tooth, but it reminded the both of them of the early days in the relationship (before it had quite been a relationship) when they'd gone out for ice cream and sat in the back of the car talking about everything.

"I saw you talking to Chad," he said, using his spoon to mold his bowl of ice cream.

"Yeah?" she asked, looking up at him.

"Well?" He tapped his food. "What did you guys talk about?"

She rested her chin on her palm and smiled. "Why so curious? Lacking in the faith department."

He frowned at her seriously. "Never," he hissed lowly. "I will never doubt your faith." He squared his shoulders. "But it isn't like you and Chad are the best of friends. In fact I'm sure the only reason the two of you haven't flown at each other with the intent to maim and seriously injure is because I've asked the both of you nicely not to. I can't think of any reason why the two of you would be talking."

She drawled out, "Actually, we were talking about you, the one subject we're both in agreement over. I think we found some common ground."

"You worked things out with him?" Troy asked incredulously. "Because no offence, but the both of you are the most stubborn people I know once you guys make up your minds."

"Is it so hard to imagine?"

He snorted, "Yes."

She rolled her eyes. "I'm not saying we're best friends, but we worked through some of the tension."

"Speaking of tension, you want to share what's going on with your brother and Sam?" Troy asked. "You know I don't really talk to Ryan all that much, and Sam isn't talking to anyone at the moment. I have both of them in my calculus class and I feel like I'm walking into the firing range every day, even with them sitting on opposite sides of the room now."

Sharpay's shoulders fell. "It's not really my place. It isn't like Ryan said not to say anything, but it's his business."

"They're both my friends, and they're effecting us, so I think we have the right now know."

Sharpay took a bite of her ice cream and slowly said, "It isn't like my brother isn't aware of the stigma surrounding his preferences. Just because we've been sequestered for most of our lives doesn't mean we don't understand bigotry. Ryan's a strong person and more than capable of facing anything kind of prejudice that comes his way, but it's one thing to get it from strangers and another thing to get it from someone you really care about."

"What?" Troy asked. "What does that have to do with Sam?"

"Maybe he's not as out as you thought he was," she said hesitantly.

Troy shook his head emphatically. "No, he is. All the guys know, they're fine with it. We're all pretty lucky here that for the most part, because even though there are always exceptions, it doesn't matter who makes you happy as long as you get done what needs to be. The team doesn't care about Sam as long as he plays his best."

"I dunno, maybe that's just wishful thinking on your part."

Troy shook his head again. He knew he was a little foolish in believing the best in the people automatically and always giving people the benefit of the doubt, but he knew his friends.

"All I know," she said darkly, "is that you'll hold my hand in the hallway, but Sam won't hold Ryan's."

Troy leaned dejectedly back in his chair. "But Sam is the most confident guy I know. He could care less what other people think. Whenever we all went out he was never shy about how he felt about Ryan. Why would that have changed?"

"People are different in different situations. I don't doubt that Sam cares for my brother, but I think maybe he cares a little bit more about how other people see him."

"But Sam is a good person, he wouldn't do that to Ryan."

Sharpay pushed her ice cream away. "He is, but us being together isn't like them being together. They have to face a whole lot of stupid every day from people who can't accept that love is love, and it's pure no matter your gender or preferences. And they're our age, which is a hard enough age to be without all that extra stuff. I can't really fault Sam if he folded under the pressure, because we can't even begin to imagine the kind of crap they have to deal with just because the like each other. But the sad part is I think Ryan was starting to love him, but I know my brother, and he can't be with someone who's ashamed of who he is inside. My brother is out and proud, and it may hurt him what other people say, but he doesn't let them bring him down. He can't be with someone who isn't equally as strong. Sam needs to do something fast before Ryan gives up on him completely."

She reached across to take Troy's hand in her own. "I want to see my brother happy more than anything else, and Sam makes him that happy. Will you talk to Sam?"

He squeezed her hand in his. "Yeah. If course I will. I know how important Ryan is to you. You don't even have to ask."

She went back to her ice cream then, but he added with an air of finality, "No matter what, I'll always hold your hand in the hallway."

"I know," she replied, spoon feeding him a taste of her strawberry swirl ice cream, "and that's why I love you."


	5. Around the Bend

Title: Once in a Moment

Rating: Strong Teen

Summary: When the air is cleared, good things are only just around the bend.

Notes: As always, my thanks to the people who take the time to review. I'll write with or without the reviews, but I do write at least twice as fast with them.

Warnings: Can you believe it, nothing for this chapter, aside from the usual drama.

Disclaimer:I do not claim to own any of the High School Musical characters, plots or themes which are the direct property of Disney and their affiliates. Nor do I have any money in which to be sued with, considering I am a college student and I'd pay my student loans off before any lawsuit, so don't waste your time. However, any characters not recognizable to the two previously existing HSM movies are mine, and I will prosecute without prejudice if they pop up anywhere else without my permission.

Chapter Five: Around the Bend

Per Sharpay's request over the next week Troy tried several times to talk with Sam about the situation with Ryan, and he'd been met with failure at nearly every avenue. The fact of the matter was that Sam simply wasn't speaking with anyone most of the time, and when he wasn't blatantly ignoring people, he was confronting them with angry tones and a shaking fist or two. Troy watched almost helplessly as he friend sunk deeper into what could only be assumed as a depression, and not only did his school work decline, but his ability to perform on the basketball team.

In fact basketball had been the only way to even get Sam to speak about anything to him. More than once he'd pulled the taller male aside and asked him not about Ryan, but about his ability to perform with whatever issue he was having with Ryan. Sam had always assured him, though in not so many words and not really so nicely, that Ryan was in no way Troy's business and had nothing to do with his ability to make shots when they counted and fulfill his obligations to the team.

However on the fourth time Troy confronted him on his lack of concentration, the whole team having noticed it by now, the reaction was quite different. His ears were still ringing, having been shouted at very loudly to mind his own business and leave him alone. And the team was also with one less player, as Sam failed to show for the practices after confrontation and began skipping classes so much that none of his team members could find a moment to inquire as to why.

When Troy told Sharpay this she said, "It's only getting worse."

"Sam won't talk to me, and you said Ryan is barely talking to you," Troy stated, "so what are we going to do?"

Sharpay shrugged, pressing deeper into his embrace as they curled up on his bed, both of his parents blissfully gone at the moment, along with their clothing. "But we have to do something soon," she said. "Ryan's been talking with daddy lately. I think Ryan wants to leave."

Troy felt incredibly startled. He wasn't nearly as close to Ryan as Sharpay, naturally, but he knew the male twin was happier in New Mexico than anywhere he'd ever been in his life. He was a fully incorporated member of the drama club, and incredibly popular with the freshmen girls who swooned over what they'd never have. Troy knew Ryan liked the climate, and the fact that people mostly left each other alone and for the most part were open to alternative lifestyles as long as they weren't flaunted. He was sure Ryan couldn't want to leave it all behind--couldn't want to leave Sharpay behind.

She quickly said, "He hasn't said anything to me personally, so don't say anything to him about it, but I know Ryan better than he knows himself. He's always had a tendency to run away from things that hurt too much. I don't blame him, either. If we ever broke up, for whatever reason, it would be too painful to have to go to school with you and not even be able to say hi. I couldn't go every day knowing you were in my same classes but we couldn't touch each other or tell each other how we were feeling, or even be nice to each other. Troy, I care about you how Ryan is just beginning to feel about Sam, or maybe he already does, and that's a kind of pain that isn't put aside so easily. So I really do understand why he wants to go, even if it means leaving me, and we've never so much as had separate nap times."

"Would you go with him?" In essence it might have been a question, but in the tone he'd said it, it was far from. He loved her with all his heart, but they weren't blood, and they could never have the kind of bond twins did. He hadn't shared a womb with her for nine months, or been her confidant and partner in crime growing up, nor could he understand all that she'd gone through like Ryan could. In a lot of ways, maybe too many, he simply couldn't measure up.

She pulled away from him, shifting to her side and resting her head on her palm. "You remember when you asked me what Chad and I talked about? I was trying to convince him that you love him differently than me, and you can't compare those kinds of love, or say that one is more important than the other. It's the same here. I love you and Ryan in different ways."

He made to speak and she interrupted him with, "Yeah, he's my twin, and for the most part where he goes I go, but this is different. I've found something here that I thought I'd never have, and I won't give it up for anything or anyone, my brother included. If Ryan goes, I won't, and he knows that. He wouldn't ask me to go with him, so don't worry about it. You're stuck with me forever."

Relief flooded through him.

"But what I found here can be portable," she reminded him thoughtfully. "I for one don't expect to spend the rest of my life in New Mexico. Do you know what this humidity does to my hair every day? You, Bolton, are completely oblivious of what I have to do every morning just to make it look like this."

"Like bed head?" he joked.

She shoved him playfully. "That's your fault."

"I know," he replied proudly. Them somberly he added, "And I know what you mean. I love it here. I was born and raised here. It feels like I know everyone, and I know the friendships I've made here will last me my entire life, but I want something more. New Mexico will always be here for me to visit, but it isn't where I want to come home to."

He liked that they were on the same page. They both wanted to go out into the world and do things and see exotic places, and meet new people. They wanted to spend the next portion of their lives making names for themselves and getting all the jittery ambitions they currently had used up. And then they wanted to call home a place where the ocean could be seen and readily reached. Where the sun was never too hot, but it was generally warm most of the time, and wearing more than a bathing suit or tank top and shorts wasn't required. Maybe that meant California, or maybe it meant Sydney, but no matter what, there were certain requirements they both wanted.

Though without a doubt Troy was willing to settle for anything Sharpay wanted. He knew they were equal partners, certainly from the amount of times she'd reminded him, but he couldn't help but so easily give into her whims. All he asked from her was a smile every morning, and beautiful, blond haired baby to cart around with brown eyes and cherub face. If he had that, he was sure he could be happy anywhere.

"You're going to get a basketball scholarship," she reminded him, startling him out of his daydream of a pregnant Sharpay and himself decorating a nursery, arguing over which musical promotional poster to post over the baby's headboard.

"Huh? Yeah, I hope so. Dad says the college coaches are already pretty interested. He says it's a good sign."

"And I want to act." She meant Broadway, not TV or movies, because the one thing Troy had learned about Sharpay was she detested any form of performance that wasn't pure, and she roped most everything but musicals into that category.

He shrugged. "So?" She regarded him with a serious look that sobered him in a second. "Shar?"

"How is that going to work? You're going to be on the road for a good five or six months of the year, and I'll be in New York, or maybe at an extended branch in San Francisco. When are we going to have time for us?"

Troy froze. So maybe they hadn't been on the same foot. He's always assumed they'd do what they separately wanted for a while, flying out to each other for romantic rendezvous, and then once they got their fill of that, they'd just settle down and have a kid. Maybe he'd actually presumed too much.

So he told her what he'd thought, waiting in uneasy silence while she thought it over.

"Maybe," she replied slowly, then asked him, "You could give up something so wonderful as an NBA career? Do you have any idea how many kids grow up wanting more than anything to be a basketball star? My job would let us stay in one place, but yours wouldn't. I can't believe you'd give that up for me."

He took her in his arms in a second and pressed his lips to her forehead. "If you said lets move to Paris and be mimes, I'd ask you when our flight left. Shar, I love basketball. It means so much to me, but never doubt it means more to me than you. It means nothing in comparison. I wouldn't have half the passion for it if I didn't have you cheering me on in the stands, or proving to me that I'm worthy of being captain. You do that for me, Shar, and who cares about basketball if it's going to cost me my girl?"

She flopped down on the bed, sheet covering them both falling aside to reveal her bare body.

"Anything else bothering you?" He tried not to sound too distracted in light of the mood, but the vision in front of him was almost too much. He was sixteen, after all.

"Too much," she whispered, then pulled him flush against her. "But nothing to worry about right now."

They still had at least another hour before his parents returned and he intended to indulge in her as much as allowed.

Troy hadn't really realized that there had been tension between the two of them considering their futures until it passed, and he was never more thankful for little favors. He now had no doubt that they'd come to an understanding of where they were going. The future was always subject to change, but for the moment they were settled and comfortable with what they wanted to do. And as he sat daydreaming in History class, fingers absently stroking Sharpay's back as she sat in front of him, he couldn't help but almost enjoy the mundane lesson. It was bearable and almost soothing in the heated classroom, Sharpay's pleasant perfume taking hold of his nose.

"Mr. Bolton?"

Troy looked up suddenly as the teacher called his name, dropping the pencil that had been doodling in the margin of his note paper. He stood almost instinctually as the teacher strode towards him, a folded slip of paper in her hands.

"My classroom isn't the post office," she reminded him swiftly, pressing the paper into his hands. The fact that he'd been allowed to have it indicated its importance.

He sat with it in his hands, only vaguely aware that Sharpay had turned in her seat to watch him carefully.

He froze upon reading the two simple lines sprawled out on the paper. The world suddenly closed in on him and he was thankful he was already sitting down. Noise thundered in his ears and he wondered if the moisture gathering in his eyes were tears of pleasure or pure shock.

"What?" Sharpay snatched the paper out of his hands and quickly scanned the information provided, sucking in a sharp breath of air. "Troy," she whispered.

"I know," he responded, reaching for the hand she held out to him.

"You have to go. Now."

Without warning she sprang out of her seat. "Ms. Ruben, Troy has to leave now." She tugged Troy up and out of his seat, providing ample support when he wavered. As the teacher sputtered Sharpay said to Troy again, "Seriously, go. You have to be there." She kissed him then, taking them moment to wipe his eyes dry and the both of them ignored the murmur of student watching, though for entirely different reasons.

"My classroom is not a make out party either," the teacher announced indignantly.

Sharpay pushed Troy towards the door, working in perfect, flawless motion to press his keys she's snatched from his backpack into his hand. "Don't worry about your stuff, I'll get it for you and drive safe." He was the safest person she knew on the road, even to the point of her annoyance, but she didn't completely trust him in her haze and the last thing he needed was to end up in the hospital too. At the door to the classroom she added, "Tell Teddy I'll see him the second school is out." Though she wanted desperately to go see him and verify that indeed he was awake, she understood that Troy needed to be there with his parents first. There was only a half hour of school left anyway, and after she managed to catch a ride home with Kendall or another friend, she felt they'd have ample time before she swooped down to see the kid for herself.

Troy did drive in a haze as Sharpay had expected, but he kept himself as aware of his surrounding as possible, and thanks to the mid afternoon hour there was little traffic on the road.

He reached the hospital only fifteen minutes after leaving campus, but simply couldn't find his legs to exit the car. He'd dreamt of his brother waking up for what felt like an eternity. His little brother had been hurt, at least in his eyes, due to Troy's negligence, and he took the burden of his coma personally. His waking was a dream, especially with the surgeries and odd brain activity, but somehow Troy couldn't progress to his brother's room. He couldn't bear the thought of having to look his brother in the eyes and realize that he was blamed for what happened.

He wasn't sure how long he sat in the car, but it couldn't have been that long, before he came to his senses, Sharpay's voice ringing in his head. It seemed these days she was his conscience, and she was telling him, hands on her hips, foot tapping, and annoyed look on her face (figuratively, of course) that he was being an idiot. Even if the blame was his, Teddy was the last person in the world who'd either recognize the fact or point it out. They were close brothers, good friends, and above all else, so very human. He had nothing to fear, and a little brother to see.

"What took you so long!"

His brother's voice was a godsend.

Troy laughed, loud and authentically, then charged towards his brother's bed and threw his arms around his too thin brother. His mother complained loudly about his disrupting IV lines and carefully placed tubes, while his father only laughed as well, understanding his sheer need to feel Teddy hug back.

"When did he wake up?" Troy asked his father, stepping back to allow his mother to fuss over Teddy.

"About an hour ago," his father replied. "The doctor's checked him over. They think he's going to be just fine. He's got a consult in neurology later tonight, but it all looks good."

"I'm right here," the boy huffed, annoyed that his family was speaking over him. "You guys always do this."

Troy mused his hair. "And you talk to people who aren't there, kiddo. I think it's all relative."

"Not _people_," he stressed, "aliens."

Troy turned to his mother. "You let him watch ET and this is what happens."

"Hey, you promised to get mom to drive us to the movie at the drive-in, remember?"

Troy frowned at his brother's reminder. "Teddy," he said awkwardly, not sure how to approach the situation. He turned to his mom helplessly. "That was two years ago," he whispered to her fearfully. Maybe it had even been more than two years since the old drive-in had featured the movie as a double feature just in time to foster his brother's beginning obsession with aliens just a little more.

"He's having some memory issues," his father said softly.

"Hence the neurology consult later today," Troy filled in.

As the visit progressed Troy began to feel the full effects of his brother's prolonged coma. Teddy was weak, his muscles only barely kept from atrophy. Occasionally he'd stumble over his own words, or repeat what he'd said without realizing it. And his memory was perhaps the worse, jumping about a times, always to the past, and never anything after a few months before Sharpay and Ryan's arrival. It seemed he'd lost an entire chunk of his memory in one felled swoop.

Or maybe he'd spoken too soon.

It was roughly twenty minutes past the end of school when Sharpay turned up, hesitating at the doorway nervously after knocking. She had both her own bag and his slung over her shoulders, looking weighed down along with her purse and a white bag.

"Is it okay if I come in?"

Troy only spared a glance to his parents who were already nodding. "Yeah, of course."

She handed Troy his bag and set it with her own at the foot of the bed, and then placed her purse on top of it. "Hey, Teddy," she said cautiously. "How are you?"

"Sharpay," Troy said, reaching for her almost absently. He was sure Teddy wouldn't have a clue as to who she was, and her tone of familiarity might only serve to upset him.

"You promised me ice cream!" Teddy nearly shrieked, leaning towards her to catch the guard rail of his bed. "And sprinkles." Sharpay shrugged forward in relief.

"You know who she is?" Troy asked, his hands resting on Sharpay's shoulders.

"Of course!" With an exaggerated roll of the eyes Teddy singsonged, "She's your girlfriend."

Then Troy laughed again, and felt so good he thought he might burst. And by the other smiles in the room, he was sure he wasn't alone in that feeling.

"Ice cream?" his mother asked, eye brow raised.

Sharpay shrugged, reaching for the white bag she'd brought with her and removed a bottle of chocolate syrup. "A promise is a promise, and an Evans never goes back on her word."

His mother put up no fuss afterwards. Troy hadn't expected her to. Because a promise was a promise, and they all understood about promises.


	6. That Same Old Song and Dance

-1Title: Once in a Moment

Rating: Strong Teen

Summary: Musical season finally rolls around and results are varied at best.

Notes: My apologies for the delay on this. Midterms have begun at my college and naturally they're far more important. I can't promise any more updates for two more weeks, but afterwards we'll get right back on track.

Warnings: Drama, drama, drama, drama. But hey, they _are _in high school

Disclaimer:I do not claim to own any of the High School Musical characters, plots or themes which are the direct property of Disney and their affiliates. Nor do I have any money in which to be sued with, considering I am a college student and I'd pay my student loans off before any lawsuit, so don't waste your time. However, any characters not recognizable to the two previously existing HSM movies are mine, and I will prosecute without prejudice if they pop up anywhere else without my permission.

Chapter Six: That Same Old Song and Dance

It seemed Teddy's improvement cleared the air and resolved whatever lingering tension there had been, or at least for the most part. The problems between Ryan and Sam fell to the wayside, and if at all possible, Sharpay and Troy drew closer, surprisingly to his parent's approval. Maybe, he was just hopeful enough to suggest, they were finally figuring out that Sharpay was the woman he intended to marry, and start his own family with, and spend nothing less than the rest of his life with. It was, after all, always possible they were realizing he wasn't their little boy anymore. And having Teddy out of the hospital and at home to swoon over really helped as well in diverting their attention.

Of course the draw back was that Teddy saw more of Sharpay than Troy, the woman having decided to play personal nurse to the child whenever his parents couldn't be there. And not that Troy really thought Teddy capable of purposely and maliciously monopolizing Sharpay's time, he still certainly enjoyed it and boarder line abused it at times. The damn bell had to go as well. If it rang one more time when he was dishelming Sharpay of her lip gloss he was going to lose his mind.

"It's helping me clear my conscience," she'd defended, already on her way to Teddy's bedroom after the ringing of the bell.

Troy knew she felt responsible in the same way that he did, but there were far better ways of clearing one's conscience than waiting on hand and foot.

"You're not even wearing a nurse outfit."

He ate his words several nights later when she did turn up in one, and even more so the next time they were alone and she had even less of the uniform on.

Still, overall things couldn't have been going better, so naturally when the other shoe dropped it was when Troy least expected it.

Simply put, the audition he'd given for the spring musical in what felt like so long ago of a time, had fled his mind completely. Darbus was finicky about her plays and musicals at best, and one could never quite predict when to hear back about auditions. In some cases call backs were only mere days after initial auditions, and in this case, it appeared to be a substantially longer amount of time. In fact so long he hadn't give the audition another thought, fully expecting that even with Sharpay's brilliant entrance and help, that he hadn't landed even the lowliest role.

So when he escorted her through the main halls one bright, unseasonably warm day, he didn't pay much attention to the white sheet tapped to Darbus' door. He dropped Sharpay off at her class, noting only absently that Ryan was absent from his usual seat, and headed to his own first period class.

Chad settled into the seat next to him and with his chin propped on his palm, stared hard.

"What?" Troy asked tensely. He shifted uncomfortably on his stool. "What are you looking at me like that for?"

"You really, ah, you really like that musical stuff, don't you?"

Troy cocked his head to the side in confusion. "Yeah, but you've known that for a while." He hadn't ever really tried to hide the fact that his guilty pleasure was curling up with his mom on the couch and watching old musicals with a tub or two of ice cream, though he hasn't exactly shouted it out either. He was only ever vocal about musicals and the like sort when Sharpay was around, but then Sharpay was hardly ever around Chad and his other friends.

"Why?"

"Why?" Troy asked. Or better yet, why was Chad even interested. Most of the time they liked to pretend that they were culturally stereotypical males who beat their chests, grunted, grabbed their crotches a lot, and certainly did not like to watch musicals, let alone sing in them.

"Yeah, why?"

Troy shrugged. "You get to be someone you're not, even if you're just watching."

"I watch Die Hard and feel like John McClain."

"That's not the same," Troy laughed. "Chad, have you ever even seen a musical? And Disney movies don't count."

The African-American teen though for a moment, then responded, "When I was a kid, I think. Something about singing nuns. I fell asleep."

"That's The Sound of Music. Chad, why don't you try watching it one more time, now that your attention span isn't that of five minutes."

The door to the shop classroom opened with a customary bang as the teacher strolled in, arms loaded with materials.

"I'll come," Chad said quickly, the class quieting down.

"Come where?"

"To the spring musical. I mean it, and so will the rest of the guys."

Confused, Troy could only nod.

"But I am _not _weathering the storm Sharpay is going to bring."

The teacher called for attention at that moment and Troy was left stumped. He'd always wanted to believe the guys on the team could show a little more interest in the arts department, never branching out and letting sports rule their lives. But their sudden interest in coming to the spring musical was almost unfounded altogether. And why would Sharpay be bringing a storm? After all, Troy was sure the only reason they'd be going was so she could criticize the actors. He knew she was still extremely mad that even though she'd sang with him in the musical, she hadn't officially been enrolled yet, and had been disqualified from having a part in the musical. He felt unsettled.

The morning flew by in typical fashion, but Troy couldn't help but sense something was different. Some of his male friends were looking at him oddly, and some of the others were giving him nonspecific congratulations and calls of encouragement. And despite his very open and dedicated relationship with Sharpay, a great population of the female student body seemed to be paying him extra attention.

He didn't find the answer to his curiosity until after lunch that day when he walked Sharpay to Darbus' classroom before his own gym period.

"Wait," she said, halting him from opening the door for her. "I want to read this," she said, indicating to the musical part winners on the door.

He shrugged easily enough. Despite her heavy backpack slung over his shoulder, he still had plenty of time to make it to his gym class. His father was predictable always knee deep in basketball plays in his office and almost never made it to the gym on time.

"Who got the lead?" he asked causally.

The sound that Sharpay emitted was one Troy had never heard before. It was cross of both surprise and joy. It almost, _almost _sounded like a half snort, but he'd _never _tell her such a thing.

She turned sharply on him and threw herself forward, arms going around his neck. He had to work quickly to keep his balance between her weight and that of the two backpacks he was carrying, but he managed it, and returned her hug ferociously.

"What is it?" he laughed, holding her close even as a teacher strolled by and gave them a disapproving look.

She pulled back to look him dead straight in the eyes and replied, "You got the lead."

He faltered. "WHAT?" He fell back, nearly flinging her to the side, and rushed to the posted sheet of paper.

There, bright as day, was his name listed under the title role of the male lead. No call back necessary. He was the lead.

Squealing loudly, Sharpay caught him in another hug, and this time he didn't let her go, spinning them in a small circle due to his haze of amazement.

"I got the lead," he remarked, kissing her. "Shar, I got the lead!"

Then the implication hit him full on and he felt his knees wobble. In an instance, like an instinct, Sharpay was supporting him instead of the other way around. "Breathe," she told him softly, removing both his backpack and hers fro his shoulders. She rubbed his back gently and said, "It's a big deal. You got the lead on your first tryout. Just take a second to let that sink in."

"I got the lead," he repeated, "and I'm going to have to get up in front of the entire student body and sing."

She rolled her eyes. "I doubt the entire student body is going to show up."

"Chad said he would, and the team. I didn't know why then." Then a thought struck him. "He also said you'd be upset."

Sharpay frowned. "Why? My boyfriend just scored the lead role in his very first musical. I'm ecstatic."

Troy only shrugged.

Sharpay peered closer at the paper, smiling as she looked over his name again. She had always hoped he'd land a role in the musical. She knew it had taken real guts for him to even consider tying out, and she didn't want to see him crushed because Darbus was a mean old hag who didn't appreciate talent when she saw it.

Then she noticed the name under Troy's.

"What's wrong?" Troy asked, noticing the change in her mood at once.

"They put the costar's name up too."

"Oh? Who is it?" He leaned over her shoulder to take a look at the name and froze. Suddenly he understood Chad's earlier words. It all made sense, in a truly horrific and unbelievable way.

"_She's _your costar?"

Troy imagined it was worse for Sharpay than for himself, even if he was going to share the stage with his ex girlfriend.

"Gabriella got the female lead?" he asked, unable to believe it. He hadn't even been aware that she was trying out. Swallowing hard he said, "It doesn't matter. She's just the costar, Sharpay." He felt maybe he needed to reassure her, but he wasn't certain. The look on her face was almost unreadable. Sometimes she needed to be supported and sometimes she didn't. It was often a guessing game, granted one he'd become proficient in, but a guessing game none the less. And he was never more uncertain about her when the topic at hand was Gabriella. She was still a ridiculously touchy subject for the both of them.

"It's _My Fair Lady_," she told him softly. "You know how that one ends."

He took her shoulders in an iron clad grip and shook her slightly. "Sharpay, look at me. You're the one I pick up for school in the morning, the one I spend my lunch with, and the one I spend all my free time with. I'm going to give her a few hours every week to make sure I don't make a fool out of myself, but that's it, Shar."

She bit down on her lip. "What if you decide--" she trailed off, but not before he caught on.

He laughed, which was perhaps not the best course of action, but he couldn't help himself. "Shar, I'm not going to decide I like her more than you. Shar, I _love _you, I never loved her. You have nothing to worry about. Do you trust me?"

She smiled a little then. "Yes."

He shouldered his backpack. "Alright, as long as we're clear. I gotta get to class. Movie after school?"

She hesitated, then said, "Actually, no. How about you just pick me up tomorrow?"

Troy frowned. "Are you sure we're clear? Are we okay?"

"Troy, everything is fine. I've just got some things I need to do after school today. We'll go to the movies tomorrow, okay? I'm not letting you get out of that romantic comedy so easily."

They parted then, with him watching her disappear into the classroom.

They met up again in their final class, but had little time to talk with each other due to a heavy test that occupied the entire period. With famous names, dates and events swimming in his head, Troy could spare little of his attention to the girl seated in front of him.

Unlike most days, he went home alone, having to put on the radio to keep his mind focused. Usually he had Sharpay in the passenger seat, chatting away, and he'd never really stopped to realize that without her his car was almost too silent.

He was surprised to find that neither of his parents were home, and as he slotted his key and opened the door, it was even more so that his brother was apparently home. He gave a small wave to the younger boy sprawled out on the living room sofa, TV on and a bowl of jell-o in his lap.

"Where's mom and dad?" he asked, sitting next to his brother.

Teddy shrugged, taking a bite of jell-o. "Dad hasn't come home yet. Mom had to go to the store."

"Mom left you at home to go to the store?"

That was a surprise. Teddy had been out of the hospital for less than a week, after spending quite a bit of time working on his muscle strength and relearning a few important things and their mother had taken time off of work to make sure he was attended to constantly at home. She'd become more than a little overprotective, much to his brother's annoyance. The idea of her leaving him alone for anything less than a bathroom break was less than fathomable.

"We don't have any more oranges," Teddy said smugly, "and you know what the doctor said about vitamin C."

Struck for a moment he reached into his pocket and retrieved his phone. Like he'd feared it announced a missed call from his mother. He suspected she'd tried to call him to ask him to stop by the store on his way home. He'd probably be in for an earache when she got home. His parents had gotten the phone for him and agreed to pay the monthly bill for the return that they were able to reach him whenever necessary.

"How long ago did she leave?"

"Mom had to go to the store."

Troy reached out to still his brother's hand as he made to swallow another spoonful of jell-o. With infinite patience he said kindly, "I know." He had quickly adapted to his brother's habit of repeating things without realizing it, a neurological defect of the amount of time he'd spent in a coma. The doctors were confident with a little work he'd grow out of it, so all they needed was to wait it out. "How long as she been gone?"

Teddy shrugged. "Five minutes maybe. Say, Troy, where's Sharpay?"

Troy leaned back against the couch and sunk into it. "She had stuff to do after school."

"But you guys always do stuff together after school. Is she mad at you?"

"I don't think so, kid. I think she's just upset."

"Why?"

Troy stole a bite of his brother's jell-o. "I got the lead in the musical. Gabriella is staring opposite me." Teddy made a sour face. "What? I thought you liked Gabriella?"

"I do," Teddy said flippantly, "but I like Sharpay more."

"Because she gives you ice cream?"

"No," he protested, "because she's fun. Gabriella was always kinda boring. Sharpay always wants to play, so long as I'm careful not to mess up her hair." And it was true, when Troy stopped to think about it. Gabriella had wanted to read books to Teddy. Sharpay wanted to dance around the room with him when either of them got new CD, and built forts out of spare blankets when his father was too busy with work, and she even indulged him in playing with his favorite action figures, though when she did GI Joe ended up falling in love half the time with the yellow Power Ranger and Optimus Prime had to break up custody battles over Frodo Baggins. Sharpay truly was more hands on with him, and Troy could see how Teddy could relate far better to a mock ninja battle than Moby Dick.

"Is Sharpay coming over tomorrow?"

"We're going to see a movie."

Teddy pushed himself up from where he'd slumped down on the sofa. "I wanna go!"

Troy eyed him. "No, trust me, you don't. We're seeing some sappy romance that pretends to be a comedy. If I thought I could smuggle you out from under mom's nose and we were seeing something where anything got blown up, I'd take you. I'm looking out for you here, kid. Your brain will melt and turn to goo if you see what she wants to."

Teddy eyed him carefully. "Promise next time?" He held out his pinky finger, and Troy met it with his own.

"When you can run the distance between the back door and the fence I'll take you to whatever movie you want, and Sharpay will buy you everything you can eat." Troy thought it was safe to assume his brother wouldn't be running for some time, considering he was only wobbling along at best now, and had to take breaks before going serious distances.

"You guys aren't breaking up, are you?" Teddy asked suddenly, starling Troy.

"Hey! We survived nearly getting blown up. She was kidnapped, I got shot, and you think a little musical is going to break us up. Teddy, you've got a lot to learn." And he tried to sound as confident as possible. Sharpay was upset, as was he, and they weren't going to break up, but the last thing they needed as an added strain, not with the situation with Sam and Ryan seriously beginning to impact them both separately and together.

"Okay," Teddy said slowly. "I really like her."

Troy ruffled his hair. "Me too."

"You gonna marry her?"

Troy nodded.

Teddy thought for a moment, then said, "I'm not wearing anything frilly."

Troy just laughed then. "I can't promise anything," he admitted. "When Sharpay decides she wants something, she usually gets it. But I bet she loves you enough not to inflict that kind of mental damage on you."

"Oh. Good." Teddy dug his spoon into the jell-o. "Bite?" he offered Troy.

"Thanks kid, you're the best."


	7. The Evolution of Friendship

-1Title: Once in a Moment

Rating: Teen to Mature

Summary: Troy makes new friends, Sharpay feels threatened.

Notes: Sorry for the delay, blame the Speed Racer fandom.

Warnings: Nothing serious this chapter

Disclaimer: I do not claim to own any of the High School Musical characters, plots or themes which are the direct property of Disney and their affiliates. Nor do I have any money in which to be sued with, considering I am a college student and I'd pay my student loans off before any lawsuit, so don't waste your time. However, any characters not recognizable to the two previously existing HSM movies are mine, and I will prosecute without prejudice if they pop up anywhere else without my permission.

Chapter Seven: The Evolution of Friendship

Troy had imagined the theater practices would be equivalent to spending time shopping with Sharpay. While he very much loved his girlfriend, and certainly thought getting to see her strut around in tight skirts and tighter shirts was a perk, the hours inbetween in which she fussed and was indecisive and berated him for not being more involved were hardly worth the thirty second fashion show afterwards. Shopping with Sharpay inevitably ended with her leaving him alone for hours in which she only reappeared towards the end of the day with a demand that he act like a gentleman and carry her bags, and him spending hours upon hours waiting for her to finish because he'd agreed to drive her. In fact the only real thing he liked about shopping with Sharpay was the knowledge that everything she put on, he would eventually get to take off later on. And occasionally she snuck him into her dressing room where they groped each other like the teenagers they were and stole kisses all the while trying not to attract the attention of the other shoppers. But those instances were few and far inbetween and shopping with Sharpay was likened to hell in his book. He'd really thought practices with Darbus would be on the same level.

He was surprised and delighted to find he actually enjoyed the practices. They met every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and every other Saturday in the afternoon and it wasn't unusual for Troy to find himself anticipating the practices so much he arrived sometimes twenty minutes early. Sharpay drove him on Saturdays, leaving him feeling guilty that he practiced basketball in the morning and the play at night leaving him little time for her, and she waited for him after school on Mondays and Wednesdays.

The fact of the matter was that Troy liked the cast. He liked that they were all fast friends and not afraid to give each other advice, or just talk. He liked the play, and memorizing his lines wasn't nearly as hard because of that. He even liked being around Gabriella, despite the initial tension that had manifested between them both as the romantically entwined leads. Before Sharpay, and even before he'd started dating Gabriella, they had been friends, and he'd missed their friendship. He knew he'd wronged her, that he'd lied and nearly destroyed her heart, and the fact that she was willing to slowly but surely let him back into her life was a miracle.

Being in the play made him happy, happier than he'd thought he could be, happier than he had been before and knew musicals and the theater would be a part of his life for as long as he lived.

"It's a rush of emotion," he told Sharpay one Sunday afternoon. He'd managed to convince her to go with him to baseball game between the local triple A team and their division rivals. "It's nice to be someone different for a change. To not have the same kind of problems or have to deal with the same kind of pressures. No one expects anything more than what you can honestly give on the stage, and it isn't like that a whole lot in real life."

They were standing in line at the concession stand, Sharpay's arm looped through his loosely and dark sunglasses hiding her eyes from the intense sunlight. "I know, Troy," she told him in an exasperated tone.

"No, Shar, you don't. You haven't been on stage before. You've go no idea the kind of rush it is, but you gotta try it."

"Next time," she agreed. "You and me as the leads."

"We'll be the best," he assured her, then moved the both of them up to the counter. "Want anything?" he asked her. They'd had a bit of a rushed morning, with him oversleeping from staying up the past night working on homework he hadn't been able to finish due to the play practice running so late, and Sharpay generally not being a morning person. Neither of them had taken the time to grab more than toast before rushing off to purchase tickets for the game.

Sharpay raised an eyebrow at him visible even from behind the large sunglasses. "Greasy hamburger or fat soaked hot dog? Just get me a bottle of water."

"You sure?" he pinned her with a serious look. She could eat like the best of them, he'd seen her. She wasn't one for eating large amounts at once, but she snacked like crazy the entire day long, and she hardly ever passed up food, especially when he was buying.

She told him, "Troy, you're a guy and he spend most of the day running around and sweating. You can afford to eat this kind of food and not weight three hundred pounds. Unless they have a Caesar salad you can just get me the water."

He frowned. "Okay, how about we stop somewhere after and get something healthier to eat?" She shrugged and he turned to the counter to place his order. It was a legitimate claim by Sharpay, considering she never ate greasy things and the most exercise she liked to do was at the mall. He'd pick her up a wrap when they went home.

"Is everything okay with Gabriella?" Sharpay asked once they'd found their seats. She brushed a lock of hair back from her eyes, a telltale sign that she was nervous.

"She was good friend," he told Sharpay kindly, "and I want us to be friends again. But no one, and I mean no one, Sharpay, is ever going to replace you. I hope you didn't think all that stuff I've been sprouting off to my parents about wanting to marry you when we're older has been nothing but a load, because I intend to. We're both going to go to college, and be successful, but you're the only one I want to spent the rest of my life with."

"You can't fault me," she laughed, settling her hand over his. "You're starring with your ex girlfriend, and when you broke up it wasn't mutual. She'd get back together with you in a second."

Troy rolled his eyes. "I broke her heart. I doubt she wants to kiss me. Maybe gut me, but not kiss me."

Sharpay shook her head. "Troy, sometimes I wonder how dense you really are. You're a truly amazing person. You're selfless and caring, honest and sincere. Those aren't traits you find in any one person, and Gabriella isn't stupid. You broke her heart because she realized she was loosing the perfect guy to some girl who came out of no where. I'm sure Gabriella thought you guys were going to go off to college together, and then have a big, white wedding, and then you'd have fat babies, and grow old together. I took that way from her, and she may not say it because she's still hurting, but she'd give anything to have you back and to have that future back."

"I never meant to hurt her, but that future, that's the one I'm supposed to have with you. If it was supposed to be with her I wouldn't have fallen in love with you. I'm a strong believer in what's meant to be, and this is one of them."

Sharpay lifted her sunglasses off her face and leaned over to steal Troy's lips in a kiss. "You're a total sap, too," she added, then framed his jaw with her hand and proceeded with several displays of public affection.

Halfway through the forth inning Sharpay departed to use the bathroom and retouch her lip gloss and when she returned she found Troy not absorbed in the game like those around him, but with his cell phone attached to his ear, the kind of smile on his face that he usually only gave her.

"Who is it?" she asked, sliding into her seat.

He paused only briefly to gesture with his hands for a moment of silence, before returning to his call. Her eyes narrowed at the motion.

"That was Peter," Troy announced when he snapped his phone shut. "He wants to meet up for a group dinner."

Sharpay frowned. "Peter is," she paused for a moment, searching her memory, then responded, "he's from the play, right?"

To be truthful Sharpay stuck around after school on Mondays and Wednesdays until he was finished with his practice, but she didn't actually watch him, aside from the first couple times. Once her paranoia about Gabriella had passed, she'd started spending her time at the gym. She thought it was odd that she gravitated towards the gym while Troy moved towards the arts, but she went because there was almost always some kind of group activity going on, sometimes more than one, and she was trying her hardest to fit in. Already too many of the girls, and by default their boyfriends, disliked her, and Sharpay endeavored for once to be less selfish and try and make her stay easier for them all, which meant getting along with the student body.

Sometimes she sat cross legged in a semi circle with the crafts club and attempted to learn how to knit, and occasionally she hung out with the dance squad who encouraged her to try and pick up on their moves and try out the next semester. And recently she'd enjoyed learning volleyball and badminton, but staying in the theater and watching Troy enjoy something she could take no part in was too painful. She was glad for him, but she wanted what he had desperately, and she was afraid to stay and feel envious.

And so she only knew the members of the play vaguely, and only from what Troy mentioned of them (which was often, but useless as she learned to tune him out when he spoke of people she knew nothing about). Peter she was certain was Troy's understudy.

"I thought we had an agreement? You agreed we'd play vintage board games tonight if I went with you to the ballgame this afternoon. I know board games aren't exactly the most exciting thing, but Ryan loves them and he's feeling really lonely right now, so we're supposed to be making an effort to be there for him." It was Sunday, the only full day they ever had to themselves, and that meant they spent it together no matter what.

"I know, Shar," Troy said, fisting his phone. "But everyone has such hectic schedules it's rare to get a time when we can all get together outside of practice. Ryan can wait one more day, I don't think the whole gang can get together again for a few more weeks."

"It's not about who can wait and who can't," she told him angrily. "Ryan is close to leaving, Troy, unless he feels like he has a support system that he can rely on to get him through whatever he and Sam are going through. I know I told you that I'd stay even if Ryan left, but that's not the point. This is my brother, and you made a promise to him, even more, you made a promise to me."

Troy sighed. "How about Ryan comes with us tonight? We'll play board games next week and all of us will go out tonight."

"Ryan and I don't know who Peter or any of those other kids are. We'd feel uncomfortable."

"That's why you have to come," Troy argued. "I really like my new friends, and I want you to like them too. If you guys get to know each other, then you won't feel uncomfortable, and you'll get to be friends too."

With a soft shake Sharpay stood. "You go out with your new friends, Troy, I'm going to keep my word and spent it at home with Ryan. He needs to know that at least someone care about him and won't just put him off because he's in need of emotional comfort." She turned then, leaving Troy behind, even as she hard him call after her to stop.

He caught up with her at the car, grabbing her upper arm and wrenching her around. "What's your problem?"

"Nothing!" she jerked her arm free. "Look, I'm not feeling so good. The humidity is high today. I'd like to go home and lay down for a while if that's okay with you, then you can go hang out with your new friends."

He pressed her back against the car with an angry expression. "You swore to me," he seethed, "that you would never make me choose."

"I'm not," she denied venomously, "you do whatever you want, Bolton. You go hang out with your new friends for all I care. I do recognize that you have a life outside of me. Do whatever you want. You don't need it, but you have my permission. What's the problem?"

"It's your tone, Sharpay. That's the tone I get from you when you're pissed and you're implying that I'm at fault, which I fail to see at the moment. All I'm trying to do is hang out with some friends that I won't get to see as a whole for a while, and you're making it seem like I'm guilty of some capital offence."

Sharpay shoved him off of her. "You just can't make plans and break them for better ones. Ryan and I aren't a package deal, but he's my brother, and if you don't care about him, what does that say about me?"

"It's just a board game!"

She pinned him with an icy glare. "It really isn't. Take me home."

Troy knew all relationship had their ups and down, especially those between teenagers, but as he drove Sharpay home he couldn't help but wonder why theirs was so rocky. They had overcome so much, and persevered through conditions that adults would have faltered over, but it seemed they had just as many downs as ups as a couple, and he was so very tired of fighting with her over the little things. She was temperamental, and he was stubborn and while he loved her, he wondered how much strain they could take.

"Do you want me to come over tonight?" he asked her when he pulled up in front of her house.

She slammed the door.

"Pick you up tomorrow then?" he tried instead.

"It's a Monday," she reminded him, "I'd rather get my own ride. I don't have time to wait for you to be finished with your new friends."

"You'd deny me friends other than you?" he demanded. "That's pretty selfish of you."

Sharpay leaned in the rolled down window of the passenger side of his car. "No, Troy, the problem is I can't deny you anything."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

She shrugged. "Nothing. I just wish you'd understand. We don't all make friends as easily as you. People are judgmental and mean and we aren't all as easily accepted."

"I know that look on your face," Ryan said when she entered their house. He learned against the doorway to his room. "Trouble in paradise?"

"Shut up," she snapped, then slammed her door. She didn't emerge for the rest of the night.

The following morning her stomach hurt, though she was sure because she missed Troy and she'd spent the night realizing what a fool she'd made of herself. She had been wrong to deny her boyfriend new friends, especially when she saw how happy they made him. They couldn't take her place, and he still cared deeply for her, and so her jealousy (because she recognized it for what it was) was sheer stupidity.

"He loves you," Ryan told her as they sat on a picnic bench waiting for the first bell to ring. "You only had to tell him you were feeling left out."

With her arms crossed on the table and her face buried in them, her voice was muffled as she said, "It's been a long time since I felt left out by someone I really loved."

Ryan rubbed her back soothingly. "You're human, Sharpay, and you're territorial. I've shared enough bathrooms with you to know that much. When you feel like something you love is going to be taken away, be it your space or your boyfriend, you get angry. I would've understood if he wanted to hang out with his other friends. I'm going to be depressed and emo and moody for who knows how long, but he's right about getting that large of a group of friends together at once."

"I don't want to be replaced," she said. "And I know I'm not, but I feel that way."

"I told you, Shar," Troy's voice came from over Ryan's shoulder, "no one ever takes your place. I usually don't like having to repeat myself, but in this case I'll make an acceptation."

Ryan moved to the other side of the picnic table as Troy sat down next to Sharpay.

"You know we gotta fix this, right?" Troy asked her.

She pulled her head up from her arms, her face pale. "How?"

Troy sighed and leaned over to press his shoulder against hers. "First off, I'm going to keep my commitments, be they to you or Ryan. You were right about that. It doesn't matter what the situation is, if a man makes a promise, he has to keep it or it's nothing but a reflection of the honor and respect he has or doesn't have for himself."

Across the table Ryan smiled faintly.

"Second, how about we work on slowly integrating you and me and all of our friends. I get that we're not all going to get along, and sometimes people just aren't meant to be friends, but I worked really hard to make two sets of people work when you were my new friend, and I want the same here. I want us to try, so even if it doesn't work out, I know that I gave it a chance."

"Thirdly?"

Troy bumped his head softly against hers. "And yes, thirdly, I'm going to remind you every day, no matter what, that you're not going anywhere in my heart."

Ryan gave a huff of annoyance and rested his chin on his palm. "Why can't I get a guy who knows how to suck it up and apologize whether he's wrong or not?"

Sharpay ignored her brother a pressed a chaste kiss to the corner of Troy's mouth. "I'm still learning," she admitted, "and it's hard because I'm not used to sharing. It's hard to love someone so much and let them drift away on faith alone that they're coming back. I've had to hold onto everything in my life with my nails. It's not that I don't trust you, I just get scared."

"Troy," Ryan pointed out with a grin, "she's already the ball and chain. Run for the hills."

Sharpay thrust a finger at him. "Keep talking, brother of mine, and you'll find yourself uninvited to the wedding. Imagine, all those cute boys in tuxedos and you barred from the event."

Troy interjected, "Hey, hey, lets not be hasty. A wedding isn't coming anytime soon, right?"

Sharpay shrugged. "Never too early to start."

"Just think, Troy, all those pastels. So little time to coordinate them." Ryan stuck his tongue out at Sharpay when she swatted at him.

"I'll leave that to you," Troy said.

"Guys!"

Sharpay perked up as she saw the familiar forms of Kendall and Chad making their way over. She'd hadn't seen either recently.

"What's up?" Troy asked them, easily swinging Sharpay's bag over his shoulder as the first bell rang.

"Well, it's been a while since we did something, right?" Kendall demanded. "So I saw Chad here in the hall and we decided to organize something."

"Bowling?" the African-American suggested. "You know, this time without the drama."

Ryan huffed, "Drama sticks to us like a bad rash."

"Sure," Troy said.

Sharpay bit her lip for a moment then asked Troy, "You want to invite any of your friends from the play?"

Troy pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Thanks for asking, but how about it's just us this time?"

In the distance Ryan spotted Sam. "Just us?" he asked faintly.

Kendall shrugged. "I invited Sam, he was there last time, but if you don't want him to go I can come up with something--"

"No," Ryan interjected. "I think I'm going to be busy. Sorry." He shouldered his backpack and disappeared off to class.

"I knew it was bad," Kendall said.

Chad shook his head. "Try being a team with Sam when he's angry and he has an inflated and hard ball he can throw very strongly at your head."

"This has to stop," Sharpay said, eyes trailing after her brother's departed form. "Sam is hurting him so much."

Troy watched Sam's form carefully, noting the dark expression on his teammate's face. "He's not the only one being hurt," Troy said softly.


	8. Honesty in Relationships

-1Title: Once in a Moment

Rating: Teen to Mature

Summary: Troy makes new friends, Sharpay feels threatened.

Notes: Restructuring and rewriting the whole second half of the story … overlook the gaps in time between updates.

Warnings: Little bit of naughty language, prominent slash

Disclaimer: I do not claim to own any of the High School Musical characters, plots or themes which are the direct property of Disney and their affiliates. Nor do I have any money in which to be sued with, considering I am a college student and I'd pay my student loans off before any lawsuit, so don't waste your time. However, any characters not recognizable to the two previously existing HSM movies are mine, and I will prosecute without prejudice if they pop up anywhere else without my permission.

Chapter Eight: Honesty in Relationships

It was a Tuesday morning, overcast and dreary outside, when Sam pulled roughly on Troy's shoulder and jerked him into an empty music classroom.

Troy stumbled for a moment, then regained his footing and remarked, "It's not that I don't enjoy these moments of male bonding, but what's up." He paused then, observing his friend's lax expression and the dark discoloring under his eyes. Sam seemed to slouch in front of him, his clothing and hair mused, and Troy wondered if he was a mere step away from toppling over.

Troy took a sharp breath and tried to remember how long Sam had been looking so rough. He knew that he'd been dealing with his own problems, attempting to balance school and sports and the musical, and then the musical and Sharpay, and he'd been feeling more than a little stressed. He'd been neglecting his friends in lieu of trying to please Sharpay and the other people in his life whom he cared the most for, and he knew in that instance it wasn't fair. Sam was angry, Sam wasn't opening up to him, Sam was maybe even crossing the line into territory that threatened to crack their friendship, but they _were _still friends, and there were obligations that went along with said friendship. Troy hadn't been right to forsake that relationship for another.

"What's wrong?" he asked softly. "This is about Ryan, right?"

Sam shrugged. "No. Maybe. Yes. No. I don't know."

Troy rolled his eyes. "You know, I can't help you figure out whatever's going on if you don't tell me. Sharpay has been working nonstop to try and get Ryan to say something--anything, but she's coming up short. You and Ryan are having serious issues, and whatever they are, you're starting to effect the people around you, which isn't cool. So if Ryan isn't going to say anything, you need to, because I don't want to have to choose between my friends, and I don't want Sharpay to have to, and I really don't want sides to be taken and to find myself on a different one than Sharpay." Troy stopped suddenly, then asked, "Is that really selfish of me?"

"Nah, Troy, I get it."

The dark haired, taller boy wandered over to a nearby chair and sunk into it. "Troy, man, I'm sorry about all this. I didn't mean to screw with you life, too."

"I know that," Troy said, smiling. "I've known you for a while now and you can be scary, but you're also a pretty cool, caring guy. You don't hurt people intentionally unless they hurt you, or someone you care about. So maybe that's why I'm puzzled why you're hurting Ryan. I'm not trying to say he's not hurting you, because I'm not blind, dude, but I think you've forgotten about Ryan what occasionally I forget about Sharpay."

Blue eyes looked up at him. "What's that?"

"You're the first real relationship he's ever had." Troy sat next to him. "Sharpay and Ryan led a really sheltered life because of the men after their father. They didn't go to public school, or get to go to the movies, or have friends other than themselves, and they certainly didn't get to date. Sharpay maybe had a little more social experience when I met her, probably only because she liked to sneak out of her house when she could, which granted wasn't very often, but neither of them knew anything about relationships or the social scene aside from what they saw on TV."

Sam shrugged. "What's that got to do with anything."

"Well, I don't want to call Ryan naïve, but in a lot of ways he's still pretty innocent. He and Sharpay are getting a crash course in the real world here, and they don't know how to deal with certain things. Hell, Sharpay is still convinced I'm going to ditch her for someone else, and she's digging in deep, which is causing friction in our relationship. I gotta imagine that Ryan is pretty confused by your actions-- a normal kid would be. He doesn't know anything about dating aside from what you and he have done. You need to enlighten him to the problem, before things are too far gone, and trust me, you're getting pretty close to the point of no return."

Sam turned is nose up. "Who says I don't want it to end? I'm a restless kind of guy, Troy, you know that. Maybe it's time for a change. He's kind of clingy and I'm not sure I want that in a relationship."

"First of all, he's clingy because he's not sure how long you're going to be in his life, but he knows he likes you and doesn't want to let you go, Sharpay clued me in to that, and second, I don't believe for a second that you want to end you relationship with him."

"Why's that?"

In the distance the first bell of the day rang, but Troy ignored it. He had been on his way to find Sharpay and make arrangements for after school, but he could sense Sam was close to opening up and he didn't want to risk leaving.

"Simple," Troy responded, "when all the crap went down last year, and bombs were going off, and the Evans' location was leaked, and there were people trying to kidnap or kill or do god knows what, you were with Ryan and you took him and you ran."

"I was scared," Sam defended. "Anyone would have been."

"I know, but the difference between you and anyone else is that you took Ryan with you. You could have dropped him off anywhere, and gotten away as fast as you could. If you had done that you wouldn't have been in any danger. No one wanted you in particular, but if the guys who wanted Ryan had found you with him, they might have killed you if you got in the way. But you didn't just leave Ryan on his own. You ran and you pulled him after you. You were in another state for crying out loud by the time the dust settled. Sam, people don't do those kinds of things for strangers. I mean come on, some people don't put their lives on the line like that for friends even. But you an I--we risk our very being, we sacrifice everything, and we have no second thoughts when we love someone, and their existence is far more important than ours, and we'll do anything to protect them. _That's _why I know you don't want things to end with Ryan, because that's the kind of love and devotion that doesn't go away over a few petty fights. You can't just get rid of that love, Sam. You can fight it and you can try to deny it, but I don't see why you'd want to. I'm not trying to tell you what you feel, but you may have found the person you want to spend the rest of your life with. How can you let him go? I could never let Sharpay go."

"It's not like you and Sharpay!" Sam snapped. "Fuck, Bolton, you have no idea what it's like to be marginally excepted by society because of who you love. You and Sharpay can kiss in public and prance around announcing your undying love for each other and people will think it's cute. If I try to hold Ryan's hand in the wrong place we get dirty looks, and that's if we're lucky."

Troy froze. Sharpay had assumed it has something to do with the both of them being male, but Troy had gotten his hopes up their troubles had been a mere couples feud. He wasn't blind, he knew their own town was filled with bigots, but he'd dared to hope that love was love and at the very least it would be tolerated.

"How long have you been out?" Troy asked calmly.

Sam gruffly replied, "Two years."

"And how many serious relationships."

With a shrug the dark haired boy responded, "A few before Ryan, at my old school, but none of them so public like with Ryan."

"Then has all this just been building? Because if you've know how crappy the world is for so long, then clearly you've known you were going to take crap for who you love and who you were born to be. What changed? What made all the anger bubble up?"

Sam ran a hand over his tired face. "I've been out officially to myself for two years, maybe longer, and just as long to my friends."

"I sense a but."

"But not to my parents."

Troy frowned. He'd never met Sam's parents. They didn't come to his games, or chaperone dances, or attend open houses, or seem at all involved with their son.

"I take it your parents don't approve, then?"

"It's not that they don't approve," Sam said, "but they don't acknowledge it. Like whenever I'd bring up Ryan they'd just pretend like he was a new friend, and whenever I spent the night at his house we were just doing guy things in their minds. My mom asked me if I had a date for the dance a month ago."

Troy nodded. "You took Ryan. Well, actually, I think he asked you, so you'd be his date, right?" He smiled to try and lighten the mood but could tell it failed to work.

"I told her I was going with Ryan--that he was my date. My dad ignored me all together, my mom told me it wasn't too late to ask a girl to come with me, that going to a dance with a male friend wouldn't do anything for my love life. Then she told me a woman she works with has a daughter my age."

"At least they're not yelling," Troy tried.

"It's worse," Sam insisted, "they don't see who I am as a person. They don't understand that I am who I am, and that I love who I am. They don't see me, Troy. You don't have any idea what it's like to have your parents look at you and see someone else altogether because they can't handle your choices. At this point I don't know if they're just fooling themselves or if they honest to god can't comprehend my choices and are instinctually blocking them out."

Troy tapped his foot nervously. "Man, I get what you're saying. That's tough, and you shouldn't have to deal with that, but it sounds like that's your problem, and not Ryan's. His family accepts him and loves him just the way he is, and I can't help but think that maybe you're a little jealous over that. You can't take out your anger on him. That's not fair."

"I'm not," Sam snapped, then sighed deeply. "I'm a normal kid, Troy, my parent's approval means the world to me. I want them to be proud of me. Nothing I've ever done has made them openly proud before, and I really want them to be. They're good people. So I told Ryan that I wanted to keep our relationship quiet. I didn't want him to flaunt anything. I told him if we were going to make this work, we had to learn how to be subtle. For the sake of my parents, we had to be quiet until graduation."

Troy groaned loudly. He recalled the day in the sub shop when Ryan and Sam had hinted at such a thing. "Sam, you just said you loved who you were, and that it hurt you that your parents wanted you to be different. How could you ask that of Ryan?"

Sam failed to respond, seemingly curling around the chair and closing his eyes. He shuddered occasionally, throat working visibly to continuously swallow, telling Troy his friend was close to vomiting.

"Is that it?" Troy asked softly? He reached out and laid a hand on Sam's shoulder.

"No."

"Okay, tell me when you're ready."

Troy didn't look at the clock, but he assumed quite a bit of time had passed before Sam said, "I told my parents to go screw themselves."

That startled Troy. "What?"

Sam opened his eyes. "A week ago. I told my parents to go screw themselves. I told them exactly what Ryan was to me. I told them in pretty graphic detail exactly what we've done together, what we plan to keep on doing, and the many things we're going to eventually get to. I made it clear that I wasn't going to marry a girl, and give them grandbabies. And then I told them to go screw themselves again."

"What happened?" Troy asked almost breathlessly.

"My dad probably had an aneurysm, it sure looked like he was red in the face enough to be having one. My mom told me I could come back when I was ready to be normal."

"What? What!" Troy tightened his grip on Sam. "They kicked you out? Why didn't you say anything? Where have you been staying?"

"I slept in my car the first night and showered and changed at school."

"Why didn't you come to me?" Troy demanded. "You know my house has a spare bedroom. You should have come to me."

"I was angry, Troy, at everything and everyone one. I didn't want to see anyone or speak with anyone or be reminded of what I had just lost. But after I calmed down I called my sister. She lives a town over. She's been letting me stay with her, but I gotta find a more permanent place, because she's getting married in a month and I can't sleep on her couch after that."

Troy jabbed a finger at him. "You follow me home after school. We're going to tell my parents exactly what happened and you're going to stay with us. Gotta problem with that? My mom is going to flip when she hears what your parents did, and the she'll probably sit you on the stool and demand you eat a big bowl of ice cream for all your suffering. Prepare to face the wrath of the ultimate mother hen."

The first hints of a true smile began to develop on Sam's face. "Thanks, Troy."

Troy nodded. "No problem. Now you gotta talk to Ryan."

Sam shook his head sharply. "No. We're over. He said as much. He don't want to see me or speak to me or even know I exist. I've hurt him enough, Troy."

"You ever stop to think that maybe Ryan would like to be let in on what you've been dealing with? He can't understand the feelings, he can't empathize, but he can be a crutch for you. I think if you let him know what you just told me, he won't think the way he does now. I'm pretty sure he's convinced you're ready to settle down with a cheerleader or something, you know, someone not too loud."

Sam dropped his head. "I love him, Troy. I could kick myself in the ass for taking so long to choose him over everyone else, but I really do love him."

"You've got to tell him," Troy urged. "Even if you think nothing is going to come of it, doesn't he deserve as much? I can't say for certain, but I'm pretty sure he's made mistakes just like you, still, doesn't he deserve to know this before he leaves? Can't you give him peace of mind?"

The shock was evident on Sam's face. "What do you mean? Where's he going?"

Troy bit his lip. "It's not certain, but Sharpay said Ryan's already started packing up. His dad's offered for him to come live with him instead of here. I don't think Mr. Evans knows anything about why, and Ryan isn't the kind of guy to share his love life with his father, but apparently the offer stands and Ryan is most likely going to take it."

"For how long?" The white sheen that covered the taller boy's face gave Troy hope.

"Sam, I don't think he's coming back if he goes. He'll probably visit Sharpay, and he's got some friends here that he'll want to see once in a while, but Sharpay was pretty clear that if he goes, it's pretty permanent."

"Tell him?" Sam asked, shoulders shaking. He asked for confirmation of the monumental task. "Tell him everything?"

"Yes," Troy said emphatically, "and save your relationship."

"Okay."

When they parted company Troy gave Sam an encouraging smile, shouldered his backpack, and took off for his next class. By the time lunch rolled around both he and Ryan were missing and when Sharpay questioned him he brushed her concern off.

"I talked to Sam this morning. I mean really talked to him."

Sharpay cocked an eyebrow. "Like guy talk or real talk?"

"Shar," Troy said, rolling his eyes, "real talk. He told me what's been bothering him. He had a falling out with his parents, partly over Ryan, partly over his preferences, and they kicked him out. He's going to stay with me for a while. I haven't asked my parents, but I'm sure they'll agree."

Sharpay nudged her lunch away from her. "You think Ryan is with Sam?"

"I really hope so. It's pretty rare of two people to be so compatible like they are. They deserve to make it through this."

Sharpay nudged his shoulder. "We're pretty compatible, too."

"True," he laughed kissing her softly. He stole a sushi roll from her mostly untouched lunch. "I think they have to learn to work at their relationship just like us. From what I've seen, for the most part it's been smooth sailing for them. Ryan is one of the most agreeable guys I've ever seen, and Sam's so easy going that between the two of them they probably instinctually learned how to compromise."

"As opposed to us. We butt heads over everything," Sharpay supplied. Then she asked honestly, "Do you wish I was more like Ryan. You know, that I didn't mind giving in so much and didn't always have to get my way. I'm not very good at compromising, and that's not a great trait to lack."

Troy popped another sushi roll into his mouth and chew pensively. "I dunno, the idea of you catering to my every whim is pretty appealing. You offering to be my Stepford Wife?"

Sharpay smacked him hard in the arm and he laughed it off. "I'm being serious, Bolton."

"Docile is nice, Sharpay," Troy finally admitted, "I was there with Gabriella. It's nice to have someone primarily concerned about your welfare. I won't deny that isn't great to get your way most of the time, and not have to ask permission to do anything, but this is better."

"Better?"

Troy threw a solid arm around her, pulling her as close as he could manage. Her warmth felt so right and he sought to take as much of it in as possible.

"It's much better to know that you're romantically involved with someone who's your equal, who's going to fight you because they're fiercely independent and knows exactly what they want in life. It's better to be with someone who can stand on their own, so you know that if you ever falter, they can hold you up until you can get your footing again. I'd never want anyone but you Sharpay, because you make me work for everything, which only makes it more fulfilling and worthwhile in the end. You challenge me, reminding me exactly who I am. And when I managed to get your approval it means the world to me, because it isn't given out easily, and it counts in the most important ways. There's nothing that could ever be better than the fire that I see in you, because drive and passion are things that can't be faked and they define a person. You make your mark on the world, you make other people recognize that world around them and themselves. Trust me, there's nothing even relatively close to that."

Sharpay smiled, and Troy thought it was the most radiant thing he'd ever seen in his life. He loved the woman in front of him, truly loved her, and he knew for as long as he lived there'd never be anyone else for him.

Sharpay pressed her forehead against his and whispered, "You're so getting laid tonight, Bolton."

Across the picnic table with wide eyes Zeke's head tilted to the side.

Jason's fingers curled around Chad's sleeve and tugged. "They always like this?" he asked quietly.

Chad slumped forward, forehead banging a few times against the wooden table.

Kendall snorted loudly and took a bite from her sandwich. She chewed happily, observing the happiness radiating from the couple in front of her. Swallowing, she said, "This is why they usually end up eating lunch alone."

"You couldn't have told us earlier?" Jason asked. They were trying so hard to be accepting of Sharpay and Ryan, for the sake of Troy, which now included attempting a couple lunches with the pair every week. But every man had his limit.

Kendall rested her jaw on her palm and beamed. "Misery loves company."

Chad groaned loudly and let his head thud against the table a few more times.


End file.
